Bachiatari Megumi
by Chaos-Paladin
Summary: [Japanese names and terms used] AU. The secret curse within the Soma family led its members to a life of misery. That is, until three girls discover the secret and turn their frowns upside down…along with their lives. Based on the series “Fruits Basket”.
1. Haruka: The pure

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the characters.

Claimer: I own the idea of this fiction.

This is my latest story, one that I've been working on for a good few weeks now. This story was fun to plan, and I hope you guys like it as much as I do. I will be using many Japanese names and a few terms, but I will translate them before each chapter as to not confuse you. Enjoy!

**Haruka** – May

**Asuna** – Flannery

**Hazuki** – Harrison

**Shuu** – Drew

**Takeshi** – Brock

**Tsutsuji** – Roxanne

**Wataru** – Lance

**Sakaki** – Giovanni

**Yuuji** – Drake (Orange island)

**Kogane** – Goldenrod

**Ubame no Mori** – Ilex forest

**Okaa-sasn** – Mother

**Otou-san** – Father

**Fuku** – school girl uniform

**Sugoi** – amazing

**Gomen nasai** – I'm sorry

**-Kun** – A suffix used for an acquaintance or friend. Mostly used between men.

**-Chan** – A suffix used for people who are close. Mainly used for and between women.

**-San** – A formal suffix normally meaning "Mr." or "Ms."

**-Sensei** – Teacher

**Oi** – Hey

**Arigatou Gozaimasu** – Thank you very much

**Hai **– Yes

**Kakusha no Joushou Ryuu** – Hotel of Rising Dragon

**Kawaii** – Cute

Note: In the Japanese language, the names go last name first.

* * *

_ Hello everyone, I'm Honda Haruka. I'm a sophomore attending Sekiyou High School in Kogane City. I would say I'm your average 15 year old girl, but that's not completely true. You see, about 4 months ago, both of my parents died in a really bad accident. A lot of my family members offered to let me stay with them, but I didn't want to trouble them too much. I needed a roof over my head, but I didn't want to burden anyone with my situation. That's when I thought of a plan to build myself a tree house close to my high school in the Ubame no Mori! It was the perfect idea! Living in a tree house is pretty tough, especially when you're tired from school or work, and you have to climb all the way up and stuff. I've actually fallen off a few times, but that's another story. I haven't told anyone about it though, so it's my own little secret base. Right now, I'm getting myself ready for my first day of the new school year! I'm pretty excited! But you know, I can't help but feel like something is going to happen today. I just got that strange feeling. Anyway, it's time to start school! Wish me luck! _

_Honda Haruka _

"I'll just tighten this here…put this there…and that's it! All ready!" The brunette named Haruka said to herself proudly. Her sapphire eyes scanned around her roughly hand-crafted tree house. There wasn't much to look at except for a few cardboard boxes being used as a stand for several small items, including a picture of two adults, one male and one female. After straightening out her blue school uniform, a fuku consisting of a skirt and T-shirt, she turned and knelt in front of the picture sitting on top of a cardboard box. She flashed the two people in the picture a soft smile. "Okaa-san, Otou-san, I'm about to go to school today, so watch the house for me, okay?" Slugging her small, baby blue backpack over her shoulder, Haruka stepped out of the doorway and carefully climbed down the 10 foot tall tree.

Trekking from the forest was sometimes pleasant, given the weather condition. The forest was big, making it easy to get lost. Haruka was well used to the forest, so she knew her way around. Looking up, Haruka smiled at the weather. It was a clear and sunny day, making the early morning sunlight filtering through the trees give the forest a radiant glow. Truly an awe-inspiring sight.

Along the path to Sekiyou High, Haruka spotted a two-story house. It wasn't too big or too small. The perfect size in her opinion. She could only wish she lived in house like that. What struck her as odd was the fact she always passed the house, but never thought to actually approach it. Curiosity pulled her towards the front of the house, which made it look even more fantastic. She already felt comfortable just looking at it.

"Sugoi…! Such a lovely looking home." Haruka thought aloud, staring in wonder.

"I take it you like this house?" A voice said out of the blue.

"AH!" Haruka nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise, not expecting the sudden voice. She glanced towards the front door to notice a tanned man with short, spiky brown hair, clad in a brown yukata. His eyes were closed in slits, making it impossible to tell the eye color. "Gomen nasai. I shouldn't have approached the house so boldly without your permission." She bowed apologetically.

"No, no, you're fine. Actually, I take great pleasure that someone as lovely as you would take the time to look at my house." The man responded.

"It's a very nice house. Do you own it?"

"Why yes I do. I'm Takeshi, nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine. I'm Honda Haruka."

"Nice name." Takeshi complimented. "Now if you would like, I can give you a tour of the house."

"Takeshi-san, are you harassing someone again?" A voice interrogated from behind Takeshi. The boy who appeared was around the same age as Haruka, possibly a year older. He had boyish, neatly trimmed teal hair and blue eyes. His clothes consisted of a boy's high school uniform, which was a pair of long black pants and black long sleeve shirt.

"I wasn't doing any such thing, Shuu-kun. I was only making conversation."

Shuu gave his hair a flick and glanced at Haruka, who had a surprised look on her face. "I apologize for my friend if he did anything foolish."

"I…I know you!" Haruka gasped in surprised. "You're Soma Shuu from my school! I didn't know you lived here!" It was certainly a shock for Haruka to know where he lived. A lot of the girls in Sekiyou high liked Shuu. Most of them would kill to know where he lived, yet Haruka found him by sheer chance!

"You look familiar…" Shuu pondered, tossing Haruka an inquisitive look.

"I'm Haruka. We're in the same class together."

"Haruka…Haruka…ah yes, I remember now. It certainly is a coincidence that we met here. But I wonder, this house is pretty far away from the city. Where do you live?"

"Oh, ah…where I live?" Haruka repeated timidly. She couldn't possibly tell THE Soma Shuu that she lived in a tent. That would make her the ultimate laughing stock of the school! "Err…well…it's around here, but kinda far."

"Huh. You don't say…" Shuu and Takeshi tossed each other a look. It was hard to believe there was another house somewhere nearby. The only thing nearby were trees. Shrugging it off, Shuu decided to change the subject. "Anyway, since you're here, would you like to walk with me to school?"

"Hai, I would love to!" Haruka agreed happily. The two started walking together to school, but they were barely 10 feet away when Takeshi made a comment.

"Oi, Shuu-kun! Wait until the third date to pull any moves!"

_SMACK!_

A bump formed on Takeshi's forehead thanks to the rock Shuu found on the ground. "Baka." Shuu huffed, continuing his escorting a slightly flushed Haruka to class.

Once Haruka arrived at school, she and Shuu immediately went to their first class. The school was built just like most high schools, scaling 4 stories high and complete with many fields for their ever growing athletics division. Class hadn't started yet, so everyone was able to relax before the teacher arrived. Haruka sat in her seat and stretched her arms. She was about to get relaxed when a pair of hands slammed on her table, causing her to jerk back in surprise.

"Ah ha! So you're the one I've been hearing about!" A girl with crimson eyes and brown hair hovered threateningly over Haruka.

"…Huh?" Haruka blinked in confusion.

"Don't you "huh" me! Don't think no one caught on to your scheme with Shuu-kun! We know you walked to school with him today!" This caught the attention of every girl in the classroom.

Haruka could feel all of the eyes staring at her. It was quite unnerving. "It was just that, walking to school. It was nothing else out of the ordinary, honest!"

"Nothing out of the ordinary? The fact that a nobody like you got such an honor is inconceivable! I want answers Haruka-san!" The woman leaned forward, glaring at Haruka. Suddenly, a hand gripped the badgering woman's shoulder. She turned around to shoot a dark glare at the owner of the hand. "Who on earth do you think…it's you!" She gasped.

"Tsutsuji-san, why don't you leave my friend alone? We wouldn't want to have any problems now…do we?" The woman questioned hauntingly. She had bright ruby eyes and hair. Her hair was styled in a large ponytail going in four separate directions and a thick bang of her hair was covering part of her face. The scary look in her eyes clearly told Tsutsuji to back off or else.

"Hmph, unhand me this instant, tomboy!" Tsutsuji demanded, shrugging off the grip. She turned to face the said girl and placed her hands on her hips. "Class is starting soon, so I was about to leave anyway. Be sure to tell your friend to watch out, because I won't let anyone get near my Shuu-kun." Shuu shivered at the sound of his name mentioned by Tsutsuji. Tsutsuji tossed Haruka a warning glare before striding back to her seat, which was close to Shuu's.

Haruka took the moment to release a sigh of relief. "Arigatou Asuna-chan."

With the mood back to normal, Asuna smiled and ruffled Haruka's hair. "Hey, don't mention it. There's nothing I wouldn't do for ya. If you need me to take anyone down for you, let me know, okay?"

Haruka sweat-dropped. "I hope that doesn't happen anytime soon, but I'll keep that in mind." When she heard someone come through the front door, she turned to wave at the newcomer she recognized. "Hazu-kun!" She called.

Asuna blushed at the name. "Ha…Hazu-kun's in this class too?"

"Hey you guys! Long time no see!" A brown haired boy called. His blue eyes beamed with glee at the sight of his two friends.

Haruka smiled as Hazuki arrived at her desk. She, Hazuki and Asuna had been childhood friends longer than she could remember and always stuck together. Asuna was a born fighter with a passion for dancing and singing while Hazuki was a martial artist in training with a gentle heart. Haruka always enjoyed their company for two reasons: One of them was because they were always great support and friends to her.

"So, Asuna-chan, how was your summer vacation?" Hazuki asked with slight timidity, scratching the back of his head.

Asuna wringed her hands while smiling nervously. "I-it was good. Yours?"

"Same."

…The other reason Haruka liked hanging around them was because how nervous Hazuki and Asuna were around each other was just too priceless to miss. "It's been awhile since we've all met. I'm glad I got to see you two again after so long." Haruka told them.

"Tell me about it. I wish I didn't have to go on that trip to Hoenn with my mom. If I didn't go, I've could've been hanging out with you two more." Hazuki informed irritably.

"Oh, that's right; your mom is the manager of that famous resort, right? I think it was called Kakusha no Joushou Ryuu." Asuna mentioned.

"Yeah. It's pretty cool, though when you're the son of the manager it's a killer to be there. Do you have any idea how many beds I have to make? You two have it easy when it comes to those things."

"I couldn't imagine." Haruka said. _'It's easy to make a bed when you don't have one.'_

"So anyway, Haruka-chan, how goes your living arrangements after…" Hazuki leaned closer to whisper so it wouldn't catch too much attention. "After what happened to your parents?"

"Oh, that? I-it's fine! No problem! Everything under control!" Haruka laughed off.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind lending you a room for awhile. There are plenty of rooms that are rarely used."

"Yeah, and if that doesn't work, you could always stay with me and my dad at the flower shop we own." Asuna joined, also worried about Haruka's well-being.

"No, no, I'm fine, really! It was tough at first, but there are no problems. I'm fine. Thanks for worrying about me." Haruka thanked.

"Hey, we've always been there for each other. You were always there for us when we needed it. We just want to do the same, right Asuna-chan?" Hazuki asked.

"Yeah, no problem!" Asuna agreed.

Just then, the front door opened, revealing a teacher with pink/orange hair and brown eyes stepping inside. Already, the female crowd started squealing with delight.

"Kyaa! It's Wataru-kun!"

"Wataru-kun, we love you so!"

"Oh my god! He's going to be our teacher for the semester!"

"This is so awesome!"

Wataru ushered the class to quiet down. "Ladies, ladies, please settle down and have a seat." The female students who were cheering for him did as instructed. "Alright, now that everyone's settled, allow me to introduce myself." Grabbing a piece of chalk, Wataru began scribbling on the blackboard. "My name is Wataru Soma, and I will be your first period teacher for this term. As most of you hopefully remembered, this class will be studying English. To start, we'll go over nouns and verbs, and how they relate to Japanese…"

'_Wait…Soma? Could it be…?'_ Haruka directed her attention to Shuu, who had a stoic expression. She made a silent gasp at the realization. _'I get it! So Shuu-san and Wataru-sensei are related!'_ During class, Haruka noticed Shuu taking small glances at her on the side. It was a wonder why he was looking at her. Unfortunately, she also noticed the fact that Tsutsuji saw Shuu looking at her.

If looks could kill, Haruka would've been burned to a crisp by Tsutsuji's glare.

Speaking of burning, why did she feel so hot all of the sudden?

Many hours later, it was the end of classes for that day. After bidding farewell to Hazuki and Asuna, Haruka started off for her treehouse. While she was walking, she noticed the clouds growing dark and rapidly spreading across the sky. It was about to rain.

"Awww…I was hoping to have an easy night…" Haruka pouted. It also didn't help that her body had been gradually getting hotter as the hours in class passed by. She also started feeling a little light headed. Her legs began to feel like wet noodles, causing her to walk in an uncoordinated path, staggering. "Everything is getting so…spinny and swirly…" It was clear to tell she was feeling woozy due to the dizzy look in her eyes. Unable to keep up her pace, she tripped over her own feet and started falling.

Fortunately, her trip to the ground was halted by a hand grabbing her arm.

"Haruka-san!" The owner of the hand called out with great urgency. Haruka managed to steal a small glimpse of her savoir just before she passed out.

"…Shuu-san…?"

Sometime later, Haruka's eyes fluttered open to the sound of heavy rain. Noting the unfamiliar ceiling, she shot up from what she now realized was a futon bed. She felt something fall from her forehead onto her lap. It was a damp cloth. Once her eyes regained complete focus, she was able to confirm that she was now inside someone's house.

"Glad to see you awake." A familiar voice said.

Haruka turned to face the man who spoke to her. It was Takeshi. That's when she realized that she was in Takeshi's home. "Oh no! I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble! I'm grateful you took the time to take care of me!"

"Hey, hey, relax! You're not feeling well, and it's not best to leave someone to get wet in the rain if they are sick. Besides, it's not me who you should be thanking." Takeshi turned his head. Haruka glanced at the direction Takeshi faced to see Shuu leaning against the wall, staring directly at her.

Haruka paled in shock. Shuu was the one who caught her as she collapsed. Talk about embarrassing. "I-I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble! I really should've been more careful where I was walking, and…and…and—"

"Calm down. I just happened to be following you to confirm my suspicions, and I called it right. You have a bad fever."

Haruka's jaw dropped. "You…followed me?"

Shuu sighed. "Don't take it too seriously. When I first saw you today, I noticed you were a little hot. You seemed kind of off the entire day, and I wanted to make sure you got home safely. It was no trouble for me. Besides, had you fainted and I wasn't there to catch you, things would've gotten ugly." He pointed out the window. It was a huge torrent of rain pouring down. Haruka would've been in a much worse condition if she fainted in the storm.

"W-wow…I didn't realize you went through so much just to make sure I was alright." Haruka smiled gratefully at Shuu. "Arigatou gozaimasu."

"Don't mention it. Just take better care of yourself next time. When the rain stops, I'll escort you back to the treehouse."

"EH?" Haruka panicked. "Y-y-y-y-you know about that?"

Shuu's eyes narrowed. "So you're the one who lives in that tree house. I've been wondering about that ever since the first time I saw it. Thanks for confirming my second suspicion."

"Ah…!" Color drained from Haruka's face as she continued to stare at Shuu in shock, speechless. Shuu deliberately said that statement on purpose! He now knew she lived in a tree house. The color that left her face returned in double the force, along with her lightheadedness. Noticing this, Shuu gently laid her back on the bed.

"You mustn't push yourself. You're still unwell. Your health is the most important right now. We will talk more after you recover, but for now, please rest." Shuu replaced Haruka's cloth with a newly cooled and damp one.

Haruka blushed. Shuu seemed so caring and charming. There was no way she could refuse. Besides, exhaustion was starting to take over. "H…Hai…Shuu-san. I will be alright with just a little rest…" Within moments, she was sound asleep.

Takeshi smiled at the sound of Haruka's soft snores of slumber, relieved. "Looks like she's finally asleep." He tossed Shuu an inquisitive look. "I must say, I'm not sure which I'm more surprised about: The fact she lived in such a tree house for so long, or the fact you were this worried about her to bring her here. I still remember the look of urgency on your face when you brought her here."

"It's nothing special. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. Also, I wanted to see for myself if she really lived in that tree house. With the way she acts in class, you could never tell she was going through such strife. Even though I haven't noticed her much, whenever I saw her, she was always smiling. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. Maybe she was just having a good day or something wonderful happened. But now…I'm unsure of whether her smiles are all happy smiles. It could be that she smiles just for show so people wouldn't worry about her…"

"Hmm. Sounds like you're worried about her alright."

"…"

"I don't blame you though. Now that I know about the situation and her character a little bit, I can't help but also worry about her."

_BOOM!_

Takeshi and Shuu jumped at the sound of a powerful thunderbolt. It was very loud, meaning it was close. Too close. Takeshi's eyes slid to the direction of the thunderbolt. "Something was hit. A tree."

Shuu had a concerned look on his face. "Could it be…?"

"It just happened to be around that area. I wouldn't doubt it. Her tree house might've been hit."

"…" Shuu glanced at Haruka, a hint of sadness in her expression. Chances were that was Haruka's only home.

"Okaa-san…Otou-san…please be alright…zzzzzzz…" Haruka whispered in her sleep.

There was a moment of silence between Shuu and Takeshi. Shuu's gaze never left Haruka. "…Takeshi-san…"

"Yes?"

"Which direction was her tree house?"

Takeshi smiled knowingly. "It's in the south direction nearby the shrine. You remember where the rain jacket was, right?"

"Of course. I'll be right back." Shuu stood up and grabbed a light teal rain coat before heading out into the raging storm.

Many hours later, it was the morning time, and Haruka woke up groggily. Thankfully, the pounding headache she had last night was gone, leaving her feeling refreshed. That rest was exactly what she needed. "I feel great!" Haruka grunted as she stretched. Her momentary happiness went into a halt as she remembered something some last night:

_Haruka had half-consciously awoken to the sound of a deafening thunderbolt. She couldn't move her body, but her hearing senses were fully functional due to the loud crack of thunder. It was then she heard Takeshi speaking to Shuu._

"_Something was hit. A tree."_

"_Could it be…?"_

"_It just happened to be around that area. I wouldn't doubt it. Her tree house might've been hit."_

And that was all she remembered from the conversation before losing consciousness again.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san!" Haruka cried. She shot out of the bed and dashed towards the front door. She was almost out the front door when a hand held onto her shoulder.

"Looking for this?" Shuu asked, holding a two-part folding picture frame. Haruka's eyes widened with surprise. It was a picture of her parents!

"But…how did you…when…?" Haruka was at a loss for words.

"I apologize to inform you that your house was decimated during the storm last night. I've managed to recover most of your possessions undamaged. The ones that weren't destroyed are already placed in your room."

"Arigatou gozai…wait, huh?" Haruka blinked as soon as she caught on to what Shuu said. "My room? What do you mean?"

"Oi, Shuu-kun! I finished Haruka-kun's room!" Takeshi called from upstairs.

"Hai, I'll bring up her stuff right away." Shuu started walking away with Haruka's belongings in a bag. "You might want to come upstairs with me to help setup your room. I don't know what your preferences are."

Haruka was now even more loss for words. It took her a minute before she could find her voice. "You don't have to do this. I mean, this is way too much trouble! I've already imposed on you earlier, and to actually impose further by—"

Shuu whipped around and gave her a reassured glance. His blue, tranquil eyes zoned in on hers. "Haruka-san, had you really imposed on us, we wouldn't be doing this. Feel free to stay in this house as long as you need to."

Those words stole Haruka's breath away. In under a day, she had moved from a hand-built tree house to a very nice house…with Soma Shuu! He and Takeshi were doing this all for her, without a hint of wanting anything in return. Haruka didn't think it was possible to feel more touched by their kindness. "H-hai! But I can assure you, I won't stay without contributing to something! I'll be sure to do whatever needs to be done in return!"

A small smile appeared on Shuu's lips. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I've got a better idea!" Takeshi grinned, standing next to them.

"How long have you been standing there?" Shuu asked.

Takeshi ignored the question and continued with his suggestion. "Haruka-kun, how about we make a deal! If you feel you need to contribute to staying here, how about you become our new housekeeper!"

Haruka blinked. "Housekeeper?"

"Yeah, it'll be great! I've even prepared a uniform for you to wear!" Takeshi started fumbling through one of the bags in his hand.

Both Shuu and Haruka sweat-dropped. "Takeshi…just how long have you been planning this?"

"Let's see…ah ha! Ta-da!" What Takeshi revealed was what had to be the skimpiest maid uniform in the world, made mainly with revealing black and white silk straps. Shuu promptly face-faulted. "Now if you don't mind Haruka, how about we get started? First off, be sure to say "Yes master" whenever we call on you. Also—"

_POW!_

"That wasn't funny!" Shuu chastised angrily, punching Takeshi in the back of the head.

"You didn't have to hit that hard…sheesh! Can't you take a joke?"

Haruka sweat-dropped. It looked like this was going to be a very interesting stay.

After fixing up the room, Haruka and Shuu had just enough time to be prepared and go to school. Besides Tsutsuji's Shuu-obsessed banter, the day went by smoothly. It was after class Shuu told Haruka he was going to go shopping for house supplies. Haruka split ways with Shuu to head to the house. It was a strange feeling to her. Normally, she would feel exhausted to think of heading back to her tree house to rest up. But now, she had a real place to stay, and with two very nice guys who provided a roof over her head. She felt lucky.

"Alright, time to head back to the house and do a little cleaning up!" Haruka cheered, making her way home.

Inside the Soma house, Haruka saw a note on top of the night table. It was written by Takeshi, stating he was going to be out for awhile. It looked like she was going to be alone for awhile. However, she wasn't saddened by this news, but motivated to do the best job as housekeeper she could. Besides, didn't everyone like coming home to a clean house? Determined, she was about to start with the living room when she heard noises coming from the kitchen.

'_What's that noise? It couldn't be Shuu-san since he's out shopping, and Takeshi-san said he was going out. Does that mean there was a third person…?'_ Haruka hesitantly snuck towards the kitchen, being careful not to make a sound. When she peaked around the corner, she spotted someone digging into the refrigerator. She quickly whipped around and placed her back on the wall. Haruka started breathing rapidly, beads of sweat forming in her head. _'There's…a burglar in the house! I'm sure if there was a third person, I would've been informed. I should call the police…' _She turned around and tippy-toed her way to the phone, which was on a small stand. Her hand was about to touch the phone when her foot stepped on a part of the wooden floor, creating a loud squeak.

'_Oh no…! What if…what if the burglar heard me?'_ Hoping beyond hope, Haruka carefully slipped back to the stop by the kitchen to glance around the corner. When she did so, there was no longer anyone in the kitchen. With that knowledge, she sighed in relief. Maybe the squeak scared off the intruder. "Phew…that was scary…"

"Oi, who are you?" A threatening voice demanded.

"EEK…!" Haruka looked like a deer caught in headlights as she slowly turned to face the intruder. He was surprisingly young, most likely around Shuu's age. His T-shirt and shorts were a matching set, a mixture of green and black. The boy had a green and white bandanna tied on his forehead, green sneakers and fingerless gloves. Haruka didn't have long to admire the boy's fine snow white hair because his narrowed ruby eyes were homed in on her. The stranger didn't look too happy to see her.

"I said who are you?" He interrogated again.

"I…I-I'm the h-h-housekeeper for S-Shuu-san and T-Takeshi-san!" Haruka stuttered, spooked.

The boy took a step forward, causing Haruka to take a step back. "There's no way. I'm positive they wouldn't let a girl stay here! You're obviously lying you little thief!"

'_I'M the thief?'_ Haruka thought incredulously. "N-n-no, I'm not a thief, honest! I'm really a housekeeper!" She waved her hands defensively, afraid of the ever closing gap between them.

"Hmph, prove it! If you're really a housekeeper, then you should have some sort of license. Let me see it!"

"Err….l-license?" Haruka paled. Sweat was running down her face faster as she slowly grew into a panic. It also didn't help that the boy caught on and started cracking his knuckles.

"I'm going to enjoy disposing of you. Prepare yourself!"

"Ah…ah….ah…" This was looking bad for Haruka. Not even a full day past that she lived in Shuu's house and she was about to get pummeled by some stranger. There was only one thing she could think of to do in this situation. "P-p-please don't hurt me!" She cried, bracing herself feebly and shutting her eyes.

The boy sweat-dropped. If this was supposed to be a thief, she sure was poor at defending herself. He blinked for a moment. "…Are you really a—"

_POW!_

His sentence was cut short by a swift and sharp kick to the face, sending him tumbling on the floor. Haruka cracked open an eye and gasped when she saw her hero. "Shuu-san!"

"Haruka-san, are you alright? Did he do anything to you?" Shuu asked. Haruka answered by shaking her head. Shuu then turned his attention to the teen getting off the floor. "I knew you were a barbarian, but attacking innocent girls is a new low for you."

"Tch, I wasn't really going to attack her, but if anyone here is low, it's you. What's a girl doing here, and since when did you hire housekeepers?"

"That is none of your concern. Haruka-san is a guest here. That's all you need to know."

"Dammit, you are seriously starting to piss me off with your high and mighty attitude!" The white haired boy growled. He stepped up to Shuu's face, whose face was calm, yet showed signs of being annoyed.

As the two started arguing back and forth, Haruka remained confused. She didn't even know where to start with her questions. It was then she heard a sigh from behind her. She turned around to see Takeshi standing behind her with a disappointed look on his face. "Oh boy, looks like Yuuki-kun's back and as feisty as ever."

"Yuuki…-kun?" Haruka asked.

"Yeah. He and Shuu had been rivals many years back. Unfortunately for him, he's very hotheaded and competitive. The fact that Shuu always had the upper hand against him only added fuel to the fire. A few months ago, he left to travel for a bit. Now that he's back, it looks like things are going to get a bit livelier here. I just hope things don't get too bloody…"

Haruka really didn't like the last part of Takeshi's sentence. That meant someone would get hurt. By the looks of Shuu and Yuuki, they were about to start fighting at any moment. "Shuu-san, Yuuki-san, please don't fight each other!" She made a break to stop them from fighting, only to trip over an object on the floor.

'_Haruka-kun's going to fall on Shuu-kun and Yuuki-kun! If she lands on them, this isn't going to end well. I have to stop her!'_ Takeshi lunged and extended his hand to grab her. Unfortunately, he missed and crashed into Haruka, creating a domino effect which caused Haruka to land on Shuu and Yuuki.

_POOF!_

Shuu, Yuuki and Takeshi were suddenly engulfed in light blue, dark blue and grey smoke respectively. Haruka was immediately tossed into a world of confusion…that is, until the smoke dissipated moments later. Thankfully, Haruka caught herself and landed on her knees, but also caught something in her arms. What she saw made her eyes widen to the max. She couldn't believe it.

Somehow, the three boys were all turned into Pokémon!

There was a long period of silence. Haruka was staring at Shuu, Yuuki and Takeshi, who had respectively transformed into a Dratini, an Azumarill, and a Mightyena. It was reasonable why she was suddenly speechless.

Shuu, who was now a Dratini, sighed in aggravation. "You see what you did now you stupid rabbit?"

Yuuki, the Azumarill who was in Haruka's arms, was instantly incensed. "What I'VE done? Why you little—"

"Enough with your squabbling!" Takeshi, the Mightyena, chastised.

Haruka was even more surprised. The Pokémon could even talk! This was starting to get too much. "Uh…ah…huh?" Was all she could think of to say. It wasn't everyday someone met people who can turn into Pokémon that talked.

"Oh well, this was bound to happen sooner or later. Might as well explain." Takeshi sighed. "Haruka-kun, as you can see, I'm a Mightyena, Shuu-kun's a Dratini, and Yuuki-kun's an Azumarill. Us three and some other Soma family members are inflicted with a curse where we transform into Pokémon of the zodiac whenever we get weak or is hugged by people of opposite gender. It was normally a well kept secret…that is until now."

"Huh…I see. I guess that makes some sense…" Now that she recalled, Haruka never once saw Shuu get close to a girl. Whenever one would try to get close to him, he backed away from them. She could definitely understand why now. "I mean, wow…this is a little overwhelming. I'm very surprised."

"It's reasonable that you're so surprised. I doubt you've encountered something as strange as this before. Speaking of surprises, I should probably warn you that we turn back to normal after awhile, but when we do…"

_POOF!_

Smoke exploded from the three Somas again. This time, when the smoke disappeared, they returned to their human forms…but not with their clothes.

"EEK!" Haruka panicked and closed her eyes, turning bright red. She really didn't need to see that!

After the Somas calmed down and got themselves dressed, everyone was seated in the living room. Yuuki proceeded to sit in the corner of the room while everyone else was at the table. Haruka felt confused with what was going on. From Yuuki's hatred against Shuu to people turning into Pokémon of the zodiac, there was so much to understand. "Now that I've gotten time to grasp the situation, I can see why you all prefer to stay away from public places. It could be tragic if this secret went public." Haruka said.

"And that's exactly why we need you to keep it secret. I'm hoping we can trust you with that, Haruka-kun." Takeshi requested.

"Of course! My Otou-san always told me to respect people's secrets for what they are. Besides, you've been so kind to me earlier. I couldn't possibly betray your wishes."

Takeshi nodded at Haruka. "I'm glad to hear it. Enough of that though, how about we enjoy ourselves for the time being! I say we give our little housekeeper a tour of the house! After all, we've never probably shown her around. Shuu-kun, would you do the honors?"

Shuu nodded. "I don't see why not. Haruka-san, would you accompany me?"

"Hai." Haruka stood up and followed Shuu outside the living room

Once the two were gone, Taekshi faced Yuuki. "So tell me Yuuki-kun, how was your trip with Yuuji-san?"

"It went better than I expected, but that's not the topic we should be discussing right now. What's this about that girl staying here? Now that she knows our secret, things could get bad quick. Do you remember the last time someone learned of our secret?"

"Yes. The situation did turn out bad that time. We had to erase their memories."

Yuuki narrowed his eyes. "That's your plan, isn't it? You're going to erase that girl's memories."

"Not quite. If anything, she seems earnest enough. Also, it looks like she made a good impression on Shuu-kun. Even you understand how distant he makes himself from everyone else."

Yuuki didn't bother to answer Takeshi. He knew Shuu long enough to understand that much. Shuu always distanced himself from others, especially girls. It made Yuuki unconsciously curious about Shuu. If anyone understood the chances of Haruka's memories being wiped, it was Shuu. "So tell me, what's so special about that girl? There's no way that bastard would take just any girl in. She looks as ditzy as they come."

"Hmm…it's hard to say. You might have to see for yourself, though I'm sure you'll be surprised. To me, she seems like the kind of girl with limitless kindness in her."

"Limitless kindness? Yeah right. I doubt there really is someone like that these days."

"Why don't you befriend her and see for yourself? You won't be disappointed."

Yuuki huffed in response as he stood up. "We'll see about that. Is my old room still there?"

"Yep, not an inch of furniture moved. You can rest there for the time being."

"This whole day is giving me a headache. I'm going to get some rest." Yuuki left for the second floor of the house, where his bedroom was located.

Takeshi released a tired sigh. Life within the Soma house had grown a little more complicated.

Elsewhere, Shuu had shown Haruka most of the rooms of the house. This included the kitchen, bathrooms, closets, and bedrooms. It was a simple design, but Haruka enjoyed the tour immensely. Shuu was currently about to show Haruka the last part of the house, her room. "And last, this is your room. I hope it is to your liking."

Haruka gasped when she saw her room. It was very roomy and clean. Her bed was a queen size and looked very comfortable. "This room…I love it! Arigatou gozaimasu!" She thanked, bowing politely.

"No, no, there's no need for thanks. You being comfortable is more than enough." Shuu waved off modestly. Haruka walked to her bed and fell on it with a flop. "You must be exhausted. Why don't you go ahead and sleep in for the day?"

Haruka sat up. "But what about the house? Shouldn't I—"

"That's not important right now. You can work on that as much as you want tomorrow, but for now, go ahead and sleep."

"Okay. Oyasumi Shuu-san…" Haruka had barely finished the sentence before falling into a deep slumber.

"Oyasumi." Shuu whispered, stepping back slowly and gently closing the door.

"You know that girl is going to have her memories wiped clean, right?" Yuuki said from behind Shuu.

"That may not be certain. That's for Sakaki-sama to decide." Shuu answered with a low tone.

"What do you see in that chick anyway? It isn't like you to bring a girl here, even less to have one stay."

"When did you ever care about what I do? Why should it matter if a girl stays here or not?"

"Tch, fine." Yuuki said no more as he walked off with his hands in his pocket. Shuu was about to head for his own room when Takeshi called him.

"Shuu-kun, I'm going to be out for the night. I'll see you later."

"Hai." Shuu answered back. He stretched his arms and yawned, feeling tired after today's mess. He went to his room for the rest of the night.

An hour later at another location, Takeshi entered through the gates of a large and luxurious mansion. Even though it was very well established, the place was void of people and happiness. Takeshi, however, was well used to the place everyone in the Soma family recognized as the main house where the Soma family's main events took place…as well as where the head of the family resided. After entering the house, Takeshi immediately went to the room where the family head stayed. He knocked several times on the sliding door, awaiting his invitation.

"Come in." A dark, bone-chilling called from inside. Takeshi opened the door and stepped into a room void of furniture, ornaments, and emotion. The only light filtering the room was from the window. Shadows veiled the identity of the man sitting in the back of the room. The only thing that could be seen was the long, purple male yukata he wore. "Have a seat."

"Hai." Takeshi sat on the floor in front of the shadowed man.

"What business do you have with me, Takeshi-kun?"

"There are some new surprises in my home. For one thing, Shuu-kun managed to find us a kawaii little housekeeper for us."

"Is that so? Does this girl know about the zodiac curse?"

"Hai. She found out today. However, she doesn't look like the type to start another commotion. I feel she's trustworthy."

"Hmm…and when you say housekeeper, you're saying Shuu-kun doesn't mind her staying?"

"For the moment, that seems to be the case. I was hoping to check with you to see if it was alright. After all, you are the one who calls the shots, Sakaki-sama."

A small grin appeared on Sakaki's face. "Very interesting. Any other news?"

"Yuuki-kun's back."

"Ah, the runaway. I'm surprised he came back so soon, if at all."

"So you feel that way as well. Yeah, even though he says he went to travel with Yuuji-san, I think he lost his nerve with Shuu-kun."

"Heh, I still remember the look of utter defeat and shame on Yuuki-kun's face when Shuu-kun crushed him in front of me."

Takeshi sighed. "That's what he gets for trying to show off in front of everyone. Poor, poor Yuuki. And he tried so hard too…"

"Enough of the good times Takeshi. I can guess why you are here. It's about that girl, isn't it?"

"Hai. Shuu-kun seems to be trying to open up to people a bit more. Also, with that girl's situation, I would recommend her staying with us. That would mean she keeps her memories."

"…I'll think about it. For now, we should make sure Yuuki-kun stays in your household a little longer."

"I'm guessing you have a plan, Sakaki-sama?"

"Hmhmhm, of course. My plan may give me all of the results I hope for."

Takeshi raised an eyebrow. Whenever Sakaki had a plan in mind, it was almost never good for anyone else except for Sakaki's amusement. "And what would that plan be?"

"It's simple. Make Yuuki-kun attend Sekiyou high school."

* * *

And that's the end of the first chapter. The beginning may seem almost a carbon copy of Fruits Basket's beginning, but it'll turn out much different. Don't worry if things look slow now, because things will pick up later on. Also, this is only one of the three girls that will have a big part in the fic. I have a feeling you will enjoy the next two characters, so stay tune and review. Lemme know what you think so far. 

FYI – "Bachiatari Megumi" means "Cursed Blessing".


	2. Kasumi: The kind

Welcome to the second chapter and character of Bachiatari Megumi. Not much to write here except a filler, so please enjoy it rather than stare at this message all day.

**Kasumi - **Misty

**Sakura** - Daisy

**Botan - **Violet

**Ayame - **Lily

**Fuu and Ran - **Liza and Tate  
**  
Satoshi** - Ash  
**  
Shigeru - **Gary

**Hanako - **Delia**  
**

**Daigo **- Steven Stone

**Kanna - **Loreilei/Prima

**Itadakimasu – **A term people often say before eating a meal. Similar to saying grace.

**-Oneechan** – Suffix meaning big sister

* * *

_Good morning everyone! I'm Yawa Kasumi, a 9 year old girl who just got into the 3rd grade. It's just me and my three big sisters living together in a small apartment. I know they love me lots, but they are always so mean with the way they tease me! They are really popular, known far and wide as the great "Sensational Sisters". They do shows and stuff like singing and dancing. Unfortunately, they always joke around, calling me the "runt" of the Sensational Sisters. I swear, when I grow big and strong, I'm gonna stomp them flat! Anyway, that's beside the point. I'm about to get ready to set out and go to my first class of the new term. Yay! Can't wait! _

_Yawa Kasumi._

The young, orange haired girl with aquamarine eyes, Kasumi, had just finished getting dressed for school. She was donned in a cute, white mini skirt, a black, long sleeve sailor suit with a red and white collar, black shoes, white socks, and a white beret. Kasumi and her sisters lived in a two bedroom apartment. It was small, but gave everything that was a necessity: A bathroom, a kitchen, and a dining room. The eldest of the sisters, Sakura, normally kept Kasumi nightly company while the other two middle sisters, Botan and Ayame, stayed in the other room. Sakura was currently in the kitchen setting up breakfast for the others, leaving Kasumi some time to dress herself and get ready. Once that was taken care of, she left the bedroom and towards the dinning room, comprised simply of a wooden table, a couch, and a television set. The dinning room was more like half dining, half living room. At the table, where there were three similar looking pretty girls, was a decent selection of breakfast goods.

"Hey, what took you so long?" The 20 year old pink haired sister, Ayame, called.

Kasumi tossed the second youngest sister a look. "Ever thought to say good morning once in a while?"

"Maybe. Anyways, hurry and sit down. We've been waiting for ya."

"Sorry." Kasumi pulled up a seat and sat next to the blue haired 22 year old, Botan.

"Shall we eat?" Sakura, the 24 year old blonde, asked. Everyone nodded in unison.

"Itadakimasu!" Everyone cheered, digging into the contents in their plates.

While eating, Kasumi neglected to notice the food on her plate slowly disappearing faster than she ate. When she noticed she only had one rice ball left, she tossed Botan an irritated look, who was not-too-subtly eating one of her rice balls. "Hey! That was mine!" Kasumi jerked her finger accusingly at Botan, who had a very care-free look on her face.

The woman waited to swallow the rest of Kasumi's stolen rice ball before speaking. "I did no such thing."

"You're lying! It's in your mouth right now!"

"Hey Kasumi! What's that?" Botan pointed to the direction opposite of where Kasumi was facing."

"Ooh! What? What? I wanna see?" Kasumi turned to face where Botan was looking, beaming with curiosity. While doing so, she barely spotted the last rice ball on her plate being swiftly snatched and devoured by her sister. Steam shot out of Kasumi's ears in anger. "Oooooh…! Why you…!" She started flail her arms in frustration, further induced by Botan placing her cup of orange juice on top of Kasumi's head.

"Temper, temper, runt. With that kind of anger, you might turn into more of a dragon than you already are." Botan teased playfully.

Sakura could only sigh. "Now, now you two. Here Kasumi, I made extras. Hurry up and eat so you can get to school on time." She handed the youngest sister three rice balls. "And since Botan-chan is so sorry, she'll be treating you to ice cream tonight!"

"Ah phooey. I was just teasing her. Talk about unfair…" Botan pouted.

"Now that's justice! Thanks Sakura-oneechan!" Kasumi praised, happily stuffing her face with her treat. The rest of the breakfast went uneventful besides small talk between sisters.

After breakfast, Kasumi was driven to school by Sakura. Once dropped off, Kasumi waved goodbye to Sakura and made her way to the first class. Because Kasumi's sisters were always moving, this was her first time in this particular school. Kogane Elementary was the most popular elementary school in the city, so it didn't hold back from proudly demonstrating their excellence. As Kasumi entered the halls with the rest of the students, there were many of awards and medals strung about along the walls. They were full of vibrant luster and shone with brilliance. Kasumi felt herself awestruck with the clarity the school was displaying.

"Kasumi-chan!" Kasumi heard two voices call her simultaneously. Recognizing the voices, she whirled around and smiled widely. A pair of twins rushed towards her. The first twin was a male with smooth, dark blue hair. The other twin was a girl with the same colored hair, but fixed up and had a pair of chopsticks holding up her hair. She wore the same uniform as Kasumi while her brother wore the male uniform, consisting of a black t-shirt and shorts.

"Fuu-chan! Ran-kun! I can't believe it!" Kasumi gasped, embracing the two 8 year olds. "I didn't think I would ever see you guys again!"

"I know! I haven't seen you for years! How've you been?" Ran asked.

"Things have been pretty good. My sisters and I arrived here a few weeks ago. It's great I finally got to see you guys again. When did you transfer here?"

"Since last year. Our parents found a great place to stay, so now we can go to this school and not worry about moving! It's even better now that you are here!" Fuu cheered.

"Same with you guys. Say, what class do you two have?"

"Class 4D-1!" The two answered in unison.

"No way! I got that class too! We both have the same homeroom!" Kasumi praised. Today was starting to turn out wonderfully!

The three chattered joyfully together as they walked to class. A few years ago, Kasumi and the twins had been good friends and next door neighbors. Unfortunately, since Kasumi's sisters were popular performers, their acts were often on the road, and so was Kasumi. It was tough to be young, since ones words were often nullified by the oh-so-wonderful concept of _age, logic_ and _experience_.

Quite frankly, Kasumi thought the whole idea was lame.

But she was happy for now. Even though she loved her sisters dearly, she dreamt of being able to stay in one spot for a satisfactory amount of time. After all, she had only lived in Kogane city for a few weeks, and with her two best friends here, she never wanted to leave.

Minutes later, the three arrived in their classroom. The students there talked amongst each other, either ecstatic or curious as to what the new school year would bring them. Kasumi loved the sight of old friends chatting with each other. Even though she wanted to make friends she could keep for a long time, it was enjoyable just to see the happy expressions on their faces.

While talking with Fuu and Ran, Kasumi noticed a boy sitting alone by the window, a calm, wistful look on his face. He had neat and fluffy russet hair and blue eyes. Kasumi couldn't tell if he wanted to be alone, or didn't have many friends. Noting that Fuu and Ran were too drawn into their own conversation to pay attention, Kasumi decided to speak with the boy sitting by the window. She walked over to his seat and sat in a seat next to his.

"Good morning!" Kasumi greeted cheerfully. The boy looked startled for a moment and then glanced over at her.

"Huh? Oh, good morning. You kind of surprised me." The boy said honestly.

"Oh, sorry. I saw you sitting there by yourself, so I kinda thought I would come along and say hello. Or…am I bothering you?" Kasumi faltered, now realizing she might have made the boy uncomfortable.

"No, not at all. I was just sitting here, going off in my own little world." The boy made the motion with his index finger, which went into a small spiral going upwards. Kasumi laughed.

"That's always fun to do; especially if you're in a boring lecture."

The blue eyed boy snorted slightly. "Hehe, you got a point there. Oh, by the way, I haven't seen you last year. Are you new to this school?"

"Yeah! I recently moved here, so my sisters enrolled me here for the time being."

The boy blinked. "For the time being…?"

Realizing her mistake, she waved her hands furiously. "Ah-ah-ah, forget the last part. Anyway, um….I'm Yawa Kasumi. What's your name?"

"Soma Shigeru. Nice to meet you, Kasumi-san."

"Teehee, like wise." Kasumi smiled. Shigeru was such a gentleman!

Suddenly, the door slid open. All of the students turned to see a tall teacher with light blue hair and eyes. He wore a blue teacher's suit and red tie, also carrying a suitcase with the day's lessons. Even though his outlook made him look like the serious type, he was popular with many of the students, especially the girls who admired him greatly. "Good morning class!" He greeted with a clear and inviting voice.

"Good morning sensei!" Everyone responded.

"Please get into your seats so we may begin the lesson." The teacher instructed. He stepped to the front of the classroom and flashed the students a warm smile. "Welcome both those new to our class and those who are well acquainted here. I will be your homeroom teacher for this term. My name's Soma Daigo, and I would like to get along with each and everyone of you, as I hope you will get along with your peers. Speaking of which, that will be part of today's lesson. To start off, we will—"

_SLAM!_

"…begin wondering who our hostile guest would be…" Daigo finished with a sigh.

Kasumi whirled in her seat to see a boy with a deep scowl on his face. The first thing she noticed was a red and white baseball cap on top of the boy's thick raven hair. His chocolate eyes burned with who-knows-what fury. "You…!" The aggravated boy pointed at Shigeru, who didn't even bother to respond. Walking at a brisk pace, he stormed towards Shigeru's seat and proceeded to glare…

And glare…

And glare…

And glare some more.

"Well…? What have you got to say for yourself?" The boy said finally, hoping to catch a response from Shigeru.

Shigeru, keeping a cool composure, remained unfazed by the anger emanating from the boy glaring at him. "I fail to see what I did wrong." He said simply.

"You gave me totally wrong directions! Do you realize how much of a fool you made me by sending me to a class of nothing but 6th graders?" He shouted, thoroughly agitated.

"Do you realize how much of a fool you're making yourself _now_?" Shigeru emphasize, gesturing all the students giving the cap wearing boy strange looks.

_PLOP!_

"Huh?" The strange child felt a heavy book gently land on his head. Looking up, he saw the stoic, yet annoyed stare of Daigo.

"Satoshi-kun, if I didn't know you, I would've already sent you to the principal's office. But for now, would you mind not embarrassing yourself further and wait to argue with your big brother _after_ class?"

Kasumi gave a silent gasp. That boy was Shigeru's brother? That sure was a surprise, but none more so than the boy known as Satoshi bursting through the door like he owned the place. Of course, given from what she understood so far, it looked like Shigeru lead Satoshi onto a wild goose chase.

Of course, being the youngest of her sisters, she knew exactly how Satoshi felt.

Satoshi, embarrassment creeping upon him, flushed slightly at the stares he was getting. "Sorry sensei. I'll sit in my seat…" With a sigh, he shuffled his way to the seat behind Kasumi and plopped down. He made sure to throw piercing glares at Shigeru when he thought Daigo wasn't looking. Shigeru, who noticed, ignored him.

After a few hours of classes, lunch break arrived for the elementary students. Kasumi, sitting with Fuu and Ran on a bench, happily ate her lunch and talked with her two old friends. "…And then Botan-oneechan had the nerve to steal my rice ball! I was so mad, but Sakura-oneechan, as always, helped me out. If it wasn't for Sakura-chan, I would've lost my mind by now." Kasumi finished.

"Don't worry Kasumi-chan, I know exactly how you feel. Sisters are a real pain in the butt!" Ran said, nodding sagely.

Fuu's eyebrow twitched angrily. "I can hear you loud and clear Ran-kun…"

Ran sipped his drink while wearing an innocent expression. "Did I forget to mention that sisters are also very annoying and bossy?"

"Ran-kun…" Fuu growled, her fist trembling.

"Take mine for example…" Ran continued, gesturing the glaring twin sister. "You can't find ANYONE who is a bigger threat to the word "peace and quiet" than her, always going on and on about her favorite boy bands and the fact that she has a super crush on—OW!" He winced, receiving a painful pinch on his arm.

"Why don't you keep your big trap shut, or shall I do that for you?" Fuu threatened, making a pinching notion with her fingers.

"Err…sure, I'll be sure to do that…" Ran sweat-dropped. He never did like getting pinched, especially by his sister.

Kasumi chuckled under her breath, finding humor in Fuu and Ran's fight. It was always fun to watch them fight.

_FWAP!_

"Mmph!" Kasumi's face was suddenly struck by an unknown object flying in the breeze. She yanked off the object and opened one of her shut eyes to peek at it. It was a cap, one she found to be a little familiar.

"Hey, excuse me!" A boy called from the distance.

Once Kasumi turned to look, she immediately realized who it was. "Satoshi-san!" She walked up to him to shorten the distance.

"Hello miss. Um…my hat kinda blew away with the wind. Do you think you could give it back to me? It's very important." Satoshi requested nicely.

"Sure. I didn't expect my face to be a catcher's mitten though." Kasumi joked, handing the hat back to the boy. Satoshi released a small chuckle at the joke. The red haired girl had an idea, remembering Satoshi's relationship with Shigeru. "Say, would you like to eat with us?"

Satoshi glanced over at Fuu and Ran, who waved hello at the child. He then looked back at Kasumi, who gave him a very inviting smile. "Uh…sure!"

"Great!" Kasumi cheered, dragging Satoshi towards her seat. She sat him between Fuu and herself, which made Satoshi nervous for reasons unknown to them. "So, Satoshi-san…"

"Hey, Kasumi-san? To be honest, I don't like being too formal. It makes me feel weird. How about you call me Satoshi-kun, and I'll call you Kasumi-kun!"

"Works for me…Satoshi-kun!" Kasumi agreed. "Oh, right, lemme introduce my two best friends. This is Fuu-chan and her brother Ran-kun."

"Twins, huh? That's pretty cool!" Satoshi praised.

Ran shrugged. "I guess so, though it's kinda funny for people to mistake Fuu to be me, though sometimes I really wonder if she's a girl." He held his chin, faking deep thought.

"You should talk, since people also mistaken you for me…which I find very icky." Fuu countered.

Ran frowned. "That's not funny, Fuu-chan."

Both Kasumi and Satoshi chuckled lightly. That's Fuu and Ran for you, always starting trouble with each other. The sound of a loud bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. Kasumi pouted. "Aww…and I just got started with talking to Satoshi-kun…"

"Oh well, looks like it's time to get back to class. Good thing it's swimming today!" Ran beamed excitedly. "Man, I can't wait! Kanna-sensei is teaching swimming this term!"

Fuu had a disgusted look on her face. "Tch, just like every single boy in this school. You all are just head over heels for Kanna-sensei."

"But you don't understand! Kanna-sensei actually gives HUGS! She gives the best hugs in the world!" Ran reasoned enthusiastically.

Satoshi and Kasumi both blinked, not sure what Ran was getting at. "Kanna-sensei? What's so good about her hugs?"

Fuu stood up and whirled around, her cheeks puffing up with annoyance. "I'm so sickened by the thought. I don't even want to explain. You two have swimming also, right? You'll just have to see for yourself." With that, Fuu stormed off, her face red with anger. Ran couldn't help but release a giggle.

"Let's not stay here waiting, let's GO!" Grabbing both Kasumi and Satoshi's wrist, Ran dashed with speed that nearly broke the sound barrier.

After getting suited up, the three kids and an excited Ran arrived at the indoor swimming pool. Since it was near fall, the class took their lessons at the indoor swimming pool. All the students for the class were already waiting for their teacher. Surprisingly, most of the males were just as giddy as Ran, which was starting to scare Satoshi and Kasumi. Fuu only grew more irritated. Fortunately, one of the males wasn't looking so enthusiastic.

Unfortunately for Satoshi, that happened to be his brother.

Shigeru looked to see Kasumi, Satoshi and the twins approaching him. "Ah, hello Kasumi-san." He greeted, making sure to ignore Satoshi's existence.

"Hi Shigeru-sa—AH!" Kasumi was cut off by Satoshi storming up to Shigeru.

"What are YOU doing here?" Satoshi interrogated.

Shigeru tossed his brother a blank glance. "I have this class too, idiot."

"You wanna say that to my face?" Satoshi shot. Shigeru's gaze didn't change.

"…I AM saying it to your face you moron."

"Why you…!"

"Now, now, Satoshi-kun, Shigeru-san, let's not fight!" Kasumi pleaded, not liking where the situation was going.

"No, go ahead and fight. It's more fun that way!" Ran instigated.

_SMACK!_

"Quit trying to start fights!" Fuu chastised, slamming Ran over the head with her fist.

"My, you two never change. Very amusing." A soft feminine voice spoke. Ran, and most of the other male students gave a small gasp.

"Ka…Ka…Kanna-sensei!" Ran cried.

Satoshi, Shigeru and Kasumi, who never met the woman before, gaped at her in awe. Kanna was a very beautiful woman with a smile which gave her an even more splendid visage. She had smooth, lustrous purple hair and warm blue eyes, enough to make many men melt under her gaze. What shocked the three elementary students was the fact her body was voluptuous enough to put even the most popular super models to shame. "…Wow…" They muttered, speechless.

Fuu sighed, knowing what was coming next. "Oh no….here we go…"

"Kanna-sensei…" Ran faked a depressed expression, staring into Kanna's eyes with his puppy dog ones. "My sister was being soooo mean to me today. I wish there was a way for me to feel better about myself…"

"Aw, you poor thing." Kanna knelt in front of Ran and embraced him gently. Ran's expression changed to an ecstatic one once his cheeks were embedded between Kanna's breasts. "There, there, everything will be alright. Kanna-sensei's here."

Ran was as giddy as a school girl. _'Teehee, they're so warm and fluffy!'_

"Umm…K-Kanna-sensei? I'm feeling pretty down too!" One of the boys said.

"Err…yeah, me three!"

"And me!"

"Yeah, I feel sad as well!" The other little boys crowded in front of Kanna for one of her _gifted_ hugs, blissfully unaware of the dark glares the girls were giving them.

Kasumi, Satoshi and Shigeru sweat-dropped fiercely. Now it made perfect sense why Ran was so excited to see Kanna.

"Hmph, perverts." Fuu scoffed, fuming. She turned to Satoshi and Shigeru, surprised they hadn't fell under Kanna's spell. "That's strange. Don't you two want hugs from Kanna-sensei as well?"

"Err…" Satoshi and Shigeru glanced at each other, attempting to come up with a satisfactory response.

"I'm…not into hugs. I think it's icky…" Satoshi answered hesitantly.

Shigeru held a confident look. "I'm not immature enough to get excited over something as silly as a hug. I'll pass."

Kasumi couldn't help but find it strange. There seemed to be another reason the two didn't want hugs, but she couldn't put her finger on it…

After classes were done, Kasumi was glad to have some free time on her hands. Fuu and Ran had to go their separate ways with Kasumi, since the paths to their respective homes differed. Since Sakura wasn't going to be home until late, Kasumi had time to do whatever she liked. Unfortunately, she didn't know the area too well, so her only option was to go home to avoid getting lost.

Kasumi was about to leave when someone called out to her. She turned around, only to smile with surprise. "Shigeru-san!"

"Hey." Shigeru waved haphazardly. When he stepped in front of her, he seemed slightly hesitant to speak, but did so in a matter of seconds. "So…uhh…Where do you like to hang out?"

"Actually, I moved here recently, so I don't know the area too well." Kasumi answered.

"Do you…have any free time right now?"

"Yes, I do, but I don't know any fun places around here, and…I'm afraid of getting lost in such a big city. Heh, it's kinda embarrassing to admit something so silly." Kasumi rubbed the back of her head abashedly.

"No, no, it's not silly at all. I'm like that sometimes too." Shigeru was silent for a beat, feeling slightly nervous. "Um…K-Kasumi-san?"

"Yes?"

"W-well…my mom is a great cook, and she especially likes company. So…I was thinking that maybe, if you weren't busy, you would like to have dinner with me, my brother and mom tonight?" Shigeru had a slight tinge of color in his cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I mean, we don't know each other that well, so if you feel uncomfortable about it, you don't have to—"

"I would love to!" Kasumi answered happily. Shigeru was taken aback by Kasumi's excitement. He didn't expect her to be _that_ happy.

Recomposed, Shigeru nodded. "Alright, then let's go." And off the two went towards Shigeru's home.

As the two walked, Shigeru made sure to make Kasumi comfortable around him. He pointed to certain spots and places, ranging from good hangout spots to landmarks incase Kasumi got lost. The red haired child enjoyed every minute of Shigeru's company.

Sometime later, Shigeru and Kasumi had exited the urbanized city limits, heading down a path lush with bushes and trees. Kasumi was in awe. "I love the way the trees are set up. Everything looks so lovely!"

Shigeru gave a small chortle. "You've said that for just about everything you've seen so far. You sure like new things, don't you Kasumi-san?"

"Yeah! I never had a tour before! It's very fun!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

Suddenly, there was rustling in a nearby bush. Shigeru and Kasumi, engaged in a conversation, didn't hear the subtle rustling. Just when they were about to pass the bush, someone leapt out of it and towards Shigeru. "I got you this time!" The person yelled.

"What the…Satoshi?" Shigeru's eyes widen in horror, not because Satoshi had lunged at him in a surprise attack, but because Kasumi was in between the two. Satoshi had the same reaction as Shigeru once he noticed that his target wasn't his brother, but the girl he was accompanying. Kasumi could only gasp in surprise before—

_CRASH!_

_POOF!_

Satoshi had landed on Kasumi, which created a domino effect of Kasumi falling on Shigeru. Because of this, Satoshi had suddenly disappeared in yellow smoke and Shigeru blue white. The danger wasn't over since there was a small hill, followed by a foot deep river. Everyone closed their eyes and braced themselves as they tumbled down the hill and into the river.

_SPLASH!_

"Oof!" Kasumi cried, landing in the water. However, she felt herself being protected and wrapped by something slender and warm. Also, there was something warm, wet and fuzzy on her stomach. Once she opened her eyes, she was met with a big surprise.

"Ow…my head…" A yellow mouse with red cheek sacs and a zigzag shaped tail lay on top of Kasumi's stomach, wincing in pain.

"Arg…you freaking idiot! Are you actually _trying_ to act stupid, or were you born that way?" A blue and white serpentine dragon shot angrily. The Dratini looked down at Kasumi, who was wrapped in his coil. "Kasumi-san, are you hurt?"

Kasumi blinked several times, unsure of whether she heard correctly or not. She could've sworn the two Pokémon talked. Strangely, they sounded exactly like Satoshi and Shigeru. "…Uh…Shigeru-san? Is that you?"

The Dratini blinked. "What are you talking about? Can't you recognize me?"

"…Wait a second…if you're Shigeru, then…" Kasumi glanced at the dazed Pikachu resting on her stomach. "…You must be Satoshi, right?"

The Pikachu, still in a daze, staggered slightly as he stood up. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"…It's because you're a Pikachu, and Shigeru's a Dratini." Kasumi pointed out.

"Oh…" The two Pokémon said simultaneously. A moment of silence passed until… "WHAT?" Shigeru immediately uncoiled Kasumi while Satoshi leapt off.

"You see what you've done now you stupid rat? Now Kasumi knows our secret!" Shigeru snapped angrily.

Satoshi was equally frustrated. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead and try to pin the blame on me! YOU'RE the one who had to bring Kasumi with you to our house! Besides, you should be used to me ambushing you by now!"

Shigeru couldn't help but gawk at Satoshi's stupidity. "…Satoshi…do you realize how dumb you sound right now? People aren't supposed to get used to getting ambushed you bumbling fool!"

Kasumi watched the argument go back and forth, unfortunately stuck in a whirlwind of confusion. "Err…could someone help me understand what's going on?" She requested. The two brothers stopped arguing and sighed. There was no going back now.

"Um….sure, but could we do it at our house? We don't want to attract anymore attention then we probably already did." Shigeru whispered. Satoshi, using his acute hearing, nodded in agreement.

"That's a good idea..." Confused but obedient, Kasumi picked up the boys' clothes and followed Satoshi and Shigeru towards their home.

At the end of the path was a large and beautiful villa, tidily set up and displaying a tranquil atmosphere. Kasumi really wanted to admire the place more, but there were more important things to do, like understand what on earth was going on with Satoshi and Shigeru.

The Soma brothers, still in their Pokémon forms, arrived in the living room, which blew Kasumi away. In it was a fire place, a lovely velvet couch set consisting of a three-seater and love seat, a wonderful view of the backyard forest area, a large screen television set, decorative ornaments, and a rug in the middle. "Mom, we're home, and we have a guest!" The two boys called.

"A guest? My, we haven't had one in so long!" A lovely, harmonic voice answered. The woman who climbed down the stairway took Kasumi's breath away. She was absolute gorgeous! Her auburn hair was neatly combed and brushed, and she wore a simple blue dress with a red, button-up t-shirt and a pair of light blue comforters. Her serene brown eyes locked onto Kasumi and the two boys. She froze instantly, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, my…this is very troubling…"

"Yeah, she found out not too long ago. Sorry…" The two brothers bowed apologetically.

"Hmm…excuse me, but may I have a word with you alone for a moment?" The mother requested to Kasumi. She nodded to her sons, who took their clothes from Kasumi and left to their rooms, hoping not to return back to normal in front of Kasumi. The two girls sat on the three seat couch. There was a pause as the mother carefully picked the words she needed in order to explain the seriousness of the situation. "I would like to apologize for the trouble my boys may have caused you, but because of this turn of events, I have to explain to you the importance of this family secret. I know you may have been startled by Satoshi and Shigeru's…dramatic change…"

"Oh no, it's no trouble, really. To be honest, I was a bit startled…"

"Rightfully so. Oh, how rude of me, I should've introduced myself earlier. I'm Satoshi and Shigeru's mother, Soma Hanako."

"It's nice to meet you, Hanako-san. I'm Yawa Kasumi."

Hanako smiled. "That's a very nice name."

Kasumi rubbed the back of her head modestly. "Um…thank you very much. Oh, and about the secret thing…"

"Ah yes, I shall explain that to you. You see, of all the members of the Soma family, 12 of them have this curse, which turns them into Pokémon of the Zodiac whether they are hugged by people of the opposite gender or if they get very weak. As you can tell, Satoshi's zodiac sign is of the Pikachu, and Shigeru's sign is the Dratini." Hanako gentle held Kasumi's hands within hers. "I regret burdening you with this request, but I must ask you to please keep this a secret. If anyone else outside the Soma family knew about this, there would be a lot of trouble. Can I trust you to keep this promise?"

Kasumi couldn't help but notice how earnest Hanako was. There was no way she could refuse such a request. Besides, Kasumi never liked tattle-telling. "I promise! Cross my heart!"

"Thank goodness. There's something I should warn you about though…and it's not very easy to say…" Hanako glanced downward for a moment, her brows furrowing with worry. "The thing is, I still have to tell a very important family member about this. You see, something like this happened with someone else before. However, in that case, many people had found out about it. As a result…their memories were erased."

Kasumi gave a small gasp. "Their memories were erased?"

"It's not as bad as you might think. The only memories erased are the ones with the members of the Soma family. Whether they are your friends or enemies, you would forget them. I do not wish to scare you, but only to let you be aware of the situation. You seem like such a nice person, especially enough for my sons to actually bring you here. I do not wish for you to go through such a thing."

It was a lot for Kasumi to take in at once, but she managed to understand everything thus far. However, she didn't like the idea of having her memories erased. She had just recently got into Kogane elementary and started to get to know Satoshi, Shigeru and Hanako. She really wanted to get to know them all. If keeping such a big secret was all it took, she was more than willing to do it. "I don't either."

"Hey mom, could we come down now?" Satoshi asked from upstairs.

"Yes you may." Hanako answered. Satoshi and Shigeru climbed down the stairs, both filled with curiosity as to what the two were talking about.

"So mom, did you explain about…us?" Shigeru asked hesitantly.

"Yes, and I believe she's a nice young lady who will keep the secret between us. Isn't that right, Kasumi-san?"

"That's right!" Kasumi agreed honestly.

Hanako clasped her hands, hoping to relieve the tension in the air. "Okay, now that that's done, shall we have some dinner?"

"Yes, please!" All three kids answered, reminded of their hunger. Dinner for that night was enjoyable for all four people. If anyone enjoyed themselves the most, it was Kasumi, who already grew fond of Hanako.

Evening started approaching just as the Somas and Kasumi finished Hanako's dinner. Kasumi slumped in her seat, releasing a blissful sigh. "That was the best meal I've ever had! I wish I could eat like that everyday!"

Hanako laughed heartily. "You can have dinner with us as much as you like!"

"Reallly?" Kasumi asked, beaming with excitement. When Hanako nodded, Kasumi shot her fist in the air. "Huzzah! Great food from the wonderful Hanako-san! Hip-hip, hurray!"

Shigeru and Satoshi had to try hard to stifle a laugh. They had never seen anyone so excited about eating their mother's cooking before. It was refreshing. "Hey Kasumi-kun, would you like a tour of this place?" Satoshi offered.

Kasumi glanced at the clock and faltered, pouting a little. "I would love to, but I should start getting home soon. My sisters might get worried about me."

"Oh, that's a shame. Maybe next time. Shigeru, Satoshi, please escort Kasumi-san to her home." Hanako requested. The two nodded and soon left with Kasumi for her house. As she watched them conversing with Kasumi while walking out the door, Hanako's smile never left her face. "My, those two boys are quite taken with little Kasumi-san. I really hope she can become great friends with them…"

Night had quickly approached, leaving the three elementary students with only the lamppost for light. Most of the walk was fun filled with laughter and talking, but as they got closer to Kasumi's house, Kasumi started thinking about what Hanako mentioned about people's memories getting erased. After having dinner with the Somas, she knew those were the kind of people she could always enjoy being around. The mere thought of the possibility of forgetting them made her sad.

Satoshi noticed this, and was rightfully concerned. "Kasumi-kun, is something bothering you?"

"Huh?" Snapped out of her thoughts, Kasumi noticed both brothers giving her worried looks. "Oh, did you say something Satoshi-kun?"

"What's wrong, Kasumi-san? You seem a little down." Shigeru said pointedly.

Kasumi's gaze fell as she finally reached her house and stood in front of her door. "Well…it's kind of silly, but your mom told me about people's memories getting erased because of your secret…and after all the fun we've had together, I was thinking of how sad it would be to forget those wonderful memories. But, you know…" She turned around and gave Shigeru and Satoshi a grand smile. "I've been thinking that if my memories had to be erased, then I wouldn't mind as long as we can still be friends. It makes me happy that I can be friends with you two. I like both of you very much, and I wouldn't trade our new friendship for anything." Turning back around, she opened the door and took one last look at Satoshi and Shigeru. "Have a good night! See you in class tomorrow!" And then, she closed the door, planning to dream sweet dreams tonight.

Satoshi and Shigeru, ever since hearing Kasumi's thoughts, had been speechless and stunned. It felt as though that one moment was surreal. After stalling for several moments, they turned out and started walking back, very deep in thought. It was a quiet walk.

_I've been thinking that if my memories had to be erased, then I wouldn't mind as long as we can still be friends._

Her words had been echoing in the mind of the two 10 year olds. They still couldn't believe what they heard. Kasumi sounded so…honest.

_It makes me happy that I can be friends with you two._

Because of their curse, Satoshi and Shigeru weren't accustomed to people feeling so strongly about being friends with them. They were especially taken by surprise that the same girl who discovered their curse accepted them, even though they were different from everyone else.

_I like both of you very much, and I wouldn't trade our new friendship for anything._

There was only one word the two brothers could think of to describe that feeling when Kasumi said those words. That same word would apply to the girl who made a great impression on them.

"Incredible…" The two breathed in unison.

"That girl is something else, huh Satoshi-kun?" Shigeru said with a small smile on his face.

Satoshi smiled at the thought. "Heh, you said it. The first person I've ever met like that." A thought was brought up into his mind, causing him to slow to a stop. Shigeru stepped a few steps ahead and peered back curiously. "Hey…Shigeru-kun? Could I ask you a serious question?"

"Shoot."

"Do you think it's alright to be best friends with a girl, even though we have our curse thingy?"

"Hmm…I dunno…" Shigeru turned around and started walking ahead. "I…guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves."

"…Yeah, okay." Satoshi caught up with Shigeru as the two continued home.

A few days passed, and Kasumi had spent time with both brothers, whether it be one, the other, or both. After school, Kasumi would always visit Hanako and have dinner with the family. All and all, things were looking up for Kasumi, until one day…

Kasumi was at the breakfast table one morning with Sakura and Botan, finishing up her bowl of cereal. "…And then, Satoshi-kun accidentally slipped and fell into the pool! You should've seen the look on his face!" She finished, giggling at the memory.

"Wow, I've never seen you talk about your friends so happily before. They sound really nice." Sakura said, enjoying Kasumi's stories.

"Yeah, especially her two _boyfriends_, Shigeru-kun and Satoshi-kun." Botan teased, smirking.

"They are NOT my boyfriends!" Kasumi retorted.

The two older sisters laughed as they continued teasing Kasumi. Their laughter was paused as Ayame rushed to the kitchen area. "Hey guys, I got big news!" She cried.

Everyone was immediately alerted. "What is it, Ayame-chan?" Sakura asked.

"I just got a call from our manager. We just got the chance of a lifetime! If we took this opportunity, we can become world famous easily! It's the big chance we've been waiting for!"

Botan shot up from her chair. "You're kidding! Seriously?"

"Yeah, but…" Ayame glanced sadly at Kasumi. She silently motioned the two older sisters to have a private conversation with them. The three left the kitchen, leaving Kasumi peaked with curiosity.

With the sisters, Ayame explained the situation. Botan and Sakura were immediately dispirited by the news. "It's a great opportunity, but…what about poor Kasumi-chan? You saw her face. She looked so happy talking about her new friends…" Botan muttered despairingly.

"I know. I kinda feared this day would come. We should tell Kasumi and let her have a say…" Sakura suggested. Ayame and Botan nodded and agreement and dismissed the private meeting.

With Kasumi, she was about to get up and check on her sisters when they approached Kasumi with disheartening glances. "Umm…Kasumi-chan, we…need to talk…?"

Kasumi grew reasonably worried. She always dreaded those words whenever Sakura said it. It always meant something sad.

She didn't realize just how sad until she heard it…

In Kogane elementary, Satoshi and Shigeru walked into their first period classroom together, engaged in their ritual daily argument. This time, it was on whether who deserved the last breakfast biscuit. "…But you cheated! We agreed on rock, paper, _then_ scissor, yet you did rock, paper, scissor, and THEN shoot!" Satoshi accused heatedly.

…Yes, a deep argument indeed.

"Well, I see you two are in high spirits today." Daigo said flatly, standing in front of the blackboard. "We're about to start class in a second, so take your seats.

"Okay." Satoshi and Shigeru chimed, sitting in their seats.

Satoshi noticed something wrong when he looked around. "Hey, Shigeru-kun, didn't Kasumi sit in front of me?"

Shigeru blinked. "…Yeah. Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her at all today. I wonder if she's sick or something…" He pondered, a little worried.

"Good morning Satoshi-kun and Shigeru-kun!" Fuu and Ran greeted at the same time. Kasumi wasn't the only one who was getting friendly with the Soma brothers."

"Hey, have you seen Kasumi-chan anywhere?" Satoshi asked.

Fuu and Ran gave each other a look. "…No, we haven't. We thought she would've been with you two by now." Fuu answered.

"Huh, strange…" Satoshi didn't have anymore time to wonder, because Daigo was beginning class.

"Good morning class." Daigo greeted.

"Good morning sensei!" The class greeted.

"Before we start class, I have some sad news. As of today, the 3rd grader Yawa Kasumi…will no longer be attending Kogane elementary."

There was a resounding wave of gasp and murmurs in the class room. "WHAT?" Satoshi and Shigeru yelled, shooting from their chairs. Fuu and Ran only sighed. They were familiar with this occurrence.

"I was called by Kasumi's sister and caretaker. Her family is moving to the Hoenn region and will be leaving on a flight tomorrow morning, so she will not be in class today. I'm sure she will be missed."

Satoshi and Shigeru paled in shock. Why didn't Kasumi tell them this? Why didn't she let them know? Weren't they friends? Surely if they knew ahead of time, something could've changed. Maybe they could even change Kasumi's sisters' minds.

Shigeru noticed the look on Fuu and Ran's faces. From their expressions, he could tell they knew it would happen eventually.

He was going to make sure he found out everything from those two.

After school, Shigeru told Satoshi everything he found out, and the two ran all the way from school to Kasumi's house. Arriving in record breaking time, they frantically knocked on Kasumi's door. The person who answered was a very surprised Kasumi. "S-Satoshi-kun, Shigeru-kun, what are you—"

"Why…didn't…you…tell…us…you…were…leaving?" Satoshi panted, trying to catch his breath.

"We…heard…every…thing…from…Fuu…-chan…and…Ran…-kun…" Shigeru heaved, clutching his knees for support.

Kasumi felt her breath caught in her throat. The last thing she expected was for the two to actually run after her. "Ah…w-well…I didn't want to—"

Shigeru recovered and interrupted. "We know you didn't want to trouble us, which was why you didn't say anything, but…"

"Don't you realize you are causing us more trouble by NOT telling us?" Satoshi finished, also done catching his breath.

Kasumi's gaze fell, feeling ashamed. She should've known better. "I'm sorry for not saying anything. I-I should've known better than that, but…I was afraid of seeing how hurt you would look if I told you…which would've made it that much harder. To be honest, I…I don't want to leave here. I mean, I got to meet my two old childhood friends, Fuu-chan and Ran-kun, and…I met you two and Hanako-san. I…I…" Tears started to fall from Kasumi's eyes as she spoke between sniffles. "I don't want to leave everyone, but I only have my sisters as family. I have no other family in Kogane, and no other place to go…."

Satoshi and Shigeru were lost in thought as they saw the girl shed tears. They really wanted Kasumi to stay. It made them feel helpless to see Kasumi cry.

But fortunately, that's when they thought of a great idea.

"Are you thinking…?" Shigeru started. Satoshi nodded, having the same thought in mind. They turned to the sniffling Kasumi and wipe away a tear from each eye simultaneously. "Don't cry Kasumi-chan."

Kasumi sniffed a finale time before nodding. "O…Okay…"

The two Somas turned to each other and nodded once more. "Kasumi-chan, we'll be right back! Whatever you do, don't leave tonight!" The two bothers instructed in unison. As soon as Kasumi nodded, they raced off. Kasumi was confused to what they had planned. Maybe it was a parting gift before she left.

"I…will miss them the most…" Kasumi whispered to herself, heading back inside the house.

Hours passed, and it was much later that evening. Kasumi had finished packing all of her stuff and patiently sat on top of one of her boxes, waiting for a phone call, knock on the door, anything relating to whatever Satoshi and Shigeru planned. She'd hoped to at least give a last goodbye. She already said her goodbyes to Fuu and Ran, who were more than sad with her leaving. Even though Fuu and Ran had planned to switch Kasumi with a fake doll in order to trick her sisters, she knew it wouldn't work. At least Sakura would catch on.

"Hey, Kasumi-chan, is your stuff ready?" Sakura called from another room.

"Yeah! Everything's set!" Kasumi answered back.

"Good! Go ahead and bring your stuff to the front door and get ready to go!"

"Eh?" Kasumi blanched. She thought she was going to leave in the morning. It was far too soon! Besides, she had promised to wait for them tonight. Would this mean she would have to make them sad a second time? "Uh…sure…" She said not as enthusiastically. Picking up her box of belongings, she staggered while bringing it to the front door. Once she arrived she noticed someone waiting for her at the front door.

Once she realized who it was, the box she was carrying fell to the floor as she stared in shocked.

"Hanako-san!" Kasumi gasped sharply.

"Good evening, Kasumi-san!" Hanako greeted happily. "If you have your stuff ready, bring it out so we can put it in the car. Your sisters already moved most of your belongings inside."

"UH?" Kasumi looked at everyone in surprise.

Sakura, Botan and Ayame couldn't help but beam with excitement for their little sister. "As I hear it, it looks like two special little boys had pleaded their mother to find a place for little Kasumi-chan to stay. Also, it just so happens that that same mother runs an inn that's reserved only for very, very, very nice little girls outside the Soma family. And, instead of standing there with your mouth hanging open, you could be thanking your oh-so-kind big sisters for allowing you to stay there…" Botan suggested matter of factly.

A small moment passed as the shocked Kasumi was slowly registering the rush of information. She was going to stay…with Satoshi, Shigeru and Hanako. Kasumi's eyes started to well up, a wave of happiness over taking her. "Th…th…tha…THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She leapt into her sisters arms, who embraced her affectionately.

"Hey, we aren't the only ones you should thank. Hanako-san, and those two boyfriends of yours you should thank also." Botan gave a small grin.

A twitch appeared on Kasumi's forehead. "They are not my boyfriends…!" She growled.

Hanako giggled, already liking the atmosphere. "I'm sorry to be troubling you all. I know you care for your little sister deeply…"

"Oh, no, don't worry about that. It's because we care that we're doing this. Besides, you seem like such a nice woman. I don't see why not." Sakura knelt in front of Kasumi, fixing her clothes and hair motherly. "Now Kasumi, don't forget the phone number to the place we'll be staying at. If anything happens, or you just wanna talk, call us anytime."

"Yes, Sakura-oneechan!"

"And don't forget to behave yourself while staying with Hanako-san and the others!" Ayame added.

"I will, Ayame-oneechan!"

"Remember to give your boyfriends a goodnight kiss before going to bed." Botan joined.

"Of course, Botan-oneecha—HEY!" Kasumi yelled, blushing furiously.

Everyone laughed.

"No matter what, we love you very much. We'll miss you, Kasumi-chan!" Botan said.

"I'll miss you all as well, Botan-oneechan" After a heartfelt goodbye hug, Kasumi left with Hanako out the door. However, she was barely halfway to the car when Sakura called out to her.

"Hey, Kasumi-chan, almost forgot! I didn't know if you preferred the teddy bear panties or the heart ones, so I put both in your box!" Sakura yelled.

"ACK!" Kasumi face-faulted, flushing in embarrassment. "SAKURA-ONEECHAN!"

Sakura released a hearty chuckle. She just had to thrown in that last one!

A little later, Kasumi arrived back at Hanako's inn. As Hanako guided Kasumi to her room, she notion the little red head to keep quiet as she slowly opened the door. Once Kasumi peered inside, she felt her heart leap to her throat.

The room had a lovely shade of pink and was fixed up to look very neat. Kasumi had a dresser with a mirror attachment, a closet, a desk, and her own queen sized bed. What really shocked Kasumi was the fact that Satoshi and Shigeru were lying on her bed, asleep. "Oh my, they must've been tired after they finished your room." Hanako whispered, smiling widely.

Kasumi looked up at Hanako. "They…fixed this room…for me?"

Hanako giggled. "I told them that I would allow you to stay if they fixed this room up for you. Teehee, you should've seen how eager they were to hurry up and fix the room…"

_Mini flashback of not too long ago:_

"_Watch what you're doing! If you mess up, then Kasumi-san won't be able to stay over!" Shigeru chastised, trying to dust the dresser and mirror._

"_At least I'm doing REAL work, so shaddup and keep dusting!" Satoshi shot back, trying to fix up the bed._

"_Come on now, less talking and more working, unless you don't want poor Kasumi-chan to stay here…" Hanako teased, standing by the door. Satoshi and Shigeru immediately stopped arguing and started working faster._

"…They were so cute with the way they worked together."

"I can imagine…" Kasumi smiled, feeling touched by the Somas tireless efforts. She blushed timidly as she pressed her fingers together modestly. "Um…m-may I…?"

Hanako smiled. "Of course dear."

Kasumi crept over to her bed and embraced Satoshi and Shigeru as she lay on her bed.

_POOF!_

The brothers transformed to their Pokémon forms upon contact. Kasumi had a warm, bright smile on her face as she fell asleep, holding onto Satoshi and Shigeru as though they were plush toys. Hanako slowly closed the door, leaving Kasumi to sleep peacefully with her sons.

It looked like life within Hanako's Soma inn was going to be a lot lively.

"Thanks for everything…Satoshi-kun, Shigeru-kun…zzzzz…" Kasumi whispered in her sleep, holding the Pikachu and Dratini tighter.

* * *

Heh, doesn't that just scream cuteness? I hope you like the second of the three characters that will be in this story. If you notice, with this chapter, I've used a much less amount of Japanese words. This is because I am curious as to whether everyone either prefers my normal amount of Japanese words, or if this way suits your fancy. Please let me know in your review whether you like it better this way, or the way I had it in the last chapter. Either suits me fine, though it's a bit easier this way. I leave it up to you. 


	3. Musashi: The guardian

Here's the third chapter and character of Bachiatari Megumi. I'm sure you guys will get a kick out of this one. I know I did!

**Musashi **- Jessie  
**Furura** - Melody  
**Touki **- Brawly (A gym leader in Hoenn...I think...)  
**Natsume **- Sabrina (Psychic gym leader in Kanto)  
**Hiroshi **- Ritchie  
**Uchikido **- Professor Ivy  
**Ookido **- Professor Oak  
**Hakase **- Professor

**Note **- The last names are made up.

* * *

_Hey you guys, I'm Manami Musashi. Starting today, me, and my childhood friend, Sayuri Furura, are going to attend Kogane University. We don't have what you would call the best lives in the world. We're poor, unemployed, and quite frankly, have no life to call our own (and I don't think peeping on people's lives applies). Fu-chan, as I call her, and I have been together through thick and thin for years, making us the perfect duo. Unfortunately, I'm also Fu-chan's caretaker, for if left alone would probably end up wreaking havoc on the global scale. As you can guess, she's not exactly the brightest star in the sky, but I'm getting off topic. I should probably get going, seeing that Fu-chan is trying to cook again…I don't think the insurance company would like a third house burning down due to "mishaps" in the home…_

_Manami Musashi_

"Hey, Fu-chan, are you ready yet? We have to get going before we're late!" A 19 year old woman called, fixing up her endlessly long red hair that stretched past her waist. The blue eyed woman wore a jean blue skirt, black leather boots, a small jean coat and a white t-shirt with no midriff, flashing off her slim hips and stomach. Musashi sat on the edge of the queen sized bed she and Furura shared, staring at the bathroom door in front with impatience. Their apartment was rather small. As a matter of fact, the only other rooms were the bathroom and kitchen/dinning room.

"Okay, I'm done!" The sapphire eyed girl known as Furura said, stepping out. The 21 year old, auburn haired woman was clad in a pink, button shirt, blue hip hugger jeans, and a pair of cross trainers. "Sorry I'm late, had to add the finishing touches." She tugged at the yellow bandanna on her head, which had thick strands of hair coming out; two on the side of her face and two thicker and longer ones on the back.

"Uh huh." Musashi said flatly. She knew the girl all too well. "You didn't forget how to do your bra again…did you?"

"Of course not! I did it just fine by myself…even though it took me a minute to remember." She admitted meekly.

"Well, with that done, let's get going." Musashi was about to go ahead when she stopped midway. "Fu-chan…just to make sure…you didn't forget to put on underwear, right?"

Furura froze at the thought. "…No, but just to make sure, I'll go check!" She quickly ran back to the bathroom and closed the door.

Musashi sweat-dropped. Since when did people need to check?

After all was said and done, the two girls left the apartment with small backpacks slung over their shoulders. Being they were on the second floor, they descended down the stairs.

Only to meet with a very irritated landlady.

"Musashi-san and Furura-san, we need to talk about your living situation." The middle aged woman requested seriously.

Musashi grew worried. "W-what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is the fact you haven't made a single payment for rent within the last 3 months! Unless you have the money right now, I will have to have you two evicted!"

"Hey, now wait a minute! I've definitely paid the rent for this apartment!" Musashi argued heatedly.

"That's right! Mu-chan isn't lying! She had the money for it and everything!" Furura agreed. Musashi nodded, smirking victoriously. "I know for a fact since I'm the one who put it in the mailbox!"

Musashi's smirk instantly dropped at the thought, remembering she gave Furura the money to pay for the rent. "Wait a minute…Fu-chan…please tell me you placed it in the incoming mailbox…"

A slightly spacey look appeared on Furura's face, dictating confusion. "That can't be right. Why would I put money in the incoming mailbox when the rent money is outgoing?"

Musashi closed her eyes and nodded as though she understood the logic behind it. "Ah, so instead of putting it in the incoming box, you put it in the outgoing…I see…" Both Furura and the landlady sweat-dropped nervously once they slowly noticed veins appearing on Musashi's forehead. "Fu…-chan…!" Musashi growled angrily.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"YOU IDIOT! YOU TOTALLY SCREWED US UP!" Musashi roared, thwacking Furura's head repetitively with her two paper fans.

The poor girl whimpered as she clutched to protect her head feebly. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The landlady sighed. She didn't know whether to be angry with them or feel sorry for them. "Look, because of regulations, you only have until next week to find a place to live. I'll look around and see what I can do, but I can't promise too much. Try to find a roommate or someone you can stay with." Though she enjoyed Musashi and Furura's company, she had to abide by the law, no matter how much she would want them to stay.

After delivering suitable punishment, Musashi sighed in defeat, walking ahead. "I suppose. Come on Fu-chan, let's get to our first class…"

Looking on the verge of crying, Furura loyally followed Musashi, repeatedly apologizing for her foolish mistake.

Musashi could tell this was going to be a _fun_ day…

Upon arrival, Musashi and Furura were surprised at the sight of the university. Beyond the brick gate was a large field for outdoor activities owned by the school, which easily took up several city blocks. The school grounds were lush and inviting with many beautiful types of forage. Towering over 5 stories, Kogane University was truly a sight to behold.

"Wow…it's so…big and pretty…" Furura gaped in awe.

Musashi, even though she also liked the school, had other things to worry about. "Alright Fu-chan, after we find our first class, we need to find some roommates. It'll probably be best if we look together."

"…I wonder if they have good food in the cafeteria…" Furura wondered.

"It will be difficult, given we only have until next week, but we can do it if we focus…"

"…I hope there are fun clubs to join…"

"Dammit, stay focused!" Musashi reprimanded.

"Ah, y-yes Mu-chan!" Furura jumped, startled.

"We need to see what our schedule is, so come with me." Musashi walked towards the school, Furura following closely behind.

After filling out the forms in the registrar office, the two women picked up their program cards, listing their classes and the days they have them. Musashi took a peek at Furura's program card to compare their schedules. According to their schedules, today, which was Monday, and Wednesday, they had Group Dynamics then Math together. Unfortunately, their third and final class for the semester wasn't going to be done together, though their separate classes were on the same Friday. Musashi had Fashion Theory while Furura was taking Composition. After picking up the required books for their courses, the girls headed for their first class.

Because the school was enormous, each program was set up in departments, hosted in other parts of the building. Musashi and Furura were enrolled different programs, so it couldn't be helped when they would have different classes separate from each others. Luckily, the two were taking the general education class for the first two class days, so they could stay together.

Their first class, hosted in the General Education department had several round tables, each having about 5 to 6 chairs each. There were only about 4 or 5 tables where the students could sit. Given the class was called Group Dynamics, it was easy to guess the teacher planned on going all out. All of the tables except one were full, so Musashi and Furura had no choice but to occupy the table which had four students sitting at it.

The first student was a female with long, dark green hair. She was donned in dark, goth-like clothing and had violet eyes, which gave the woman a creepy atmosphere. The second was a male with light blue hair and eyes, wearing an orange t-shirt and blue shorts. It was easy to tell he was a born swimmer with his light tan and toned body, yet it was even easier to tell he was a surfer dude with his speech and accent.

The third student was a handsome, chocolate eyed man who looked about a year or so older than Musashi. The auburn haired man had on a pair of teal cargo pants, t-shirt with a dark green vest, a blue cap and sneakers. It was a little hard for Musashi to tell, but he seemed to be a little nervous. He was speaking to the man next to him, who had dark, tanned skin.

"Takeshi-san, are you sure I should be here? I'm starting to have second thoughts…" The man said, squirming in his seat. He looked as though he really wanted to leave.

"Relax Hiroshi-kun. You said before you wanted to be over it, and coming here was the perfect way to go. Just stick with me and you'll be fine." Takeshi reassured, patting Hiroshi on the back.

Hiroshi sighed. "But still, I…" He was about to say more when he noticed Musashi and Furura taking up the chairs at the table.

"Hey girls, what's shakin'?" The blue haired swimmer greeted cheerfully.

"Shaking? I don't think I have anything shaking…" Furura checked her clothes to make sure her guess was correct.

"That's not what he meant…" Musashi informed.

The man laughed. "That's a good one! Are you two new to this school?"

"Yeah. This is our first time in college." Musashi answered.

"Well, allow me to personally welcome you to Kogane University. I'm only a sophomore, but if there's anything you don't know or need help with, don't hesitate to ask."

"Sure. I'll keep that in mind." If anything, it was best to be friendly with someone who knew the area better than you did. Musashi knew this fact well. She glanced at Hiroshi, who stole small, quick glances at her and Furura. What was with that guy?

It wasn't long before the professor arrived, who was a female with violet hair and eyes. She was dressed in a white lab coat with a purple shirt and blue pants under it. "Good morning class."

"Good morning Hakase!" The students replied.

Picking up a piece of chalk, she quickly scribbled her name on it. "My name's Uchikido, and I will be your Hakase for the semester. This class, as you know, is called Group Dynamics. Over the course of this semester, we will go over how to work together as a single unit to accomplish a goal. Now first, let me ask you this, are you comfortable with your seats?" All of the students nodded. "Good, because the group you are with is now officially a part of your team. Now, while I'm sure you all are eager to learn, we will have to start with some introductions. Each of you will state your name, age, the program you're in, likes, dislikes, and dreams. I suppose I'll start with group one." Uchikido referred to Musashi's group.

Each of the students stood up, walked to the front of the classroom, and one by one, introduced themselves. The surfer dude who spoke with Musashi started first. "The name's Urusame Touki. I'm 20 years old and a sophomore. I'm in the marine biology associate's program. I like to surf and party, and I don't really dislike much. My dream is to learn all I can about the gnarly water Pokémon out there while surfing and having a good time!"

Hiroshi was next as he stepped forward. "My name's Soma Hiroshi, and I'm a 21 year old freshman. I'm in the Physical Health associates program. I like little stuff like going out to dinner and simple stuff. There isn't much I dislike, and my dream is to be a massage therapist."

Takeshi stepped forward and leaned his elbow on Hiroshi's shoulder. "I'm Hiroshi-kun's cousin, Soma Takeshi. I'm 22 and going for a bachelors in literature. I like pretty high school girls with mini skirts and dislike nothing in particular. My goal is to become a great writer for the future generation."

Uchikido sweat-dropped. "…I'll warn the girls and security guards of this campus of your existence…"

The gothic woman was the next to step forward, her voice void of emotion. "I'm Tachibana Natsume. I'm 19 and a freshman attending the health program. I don't like many things, and there is much I dislike. Also, I do not wish to disclose my future goals."

The class grew silent, slightly intimidated by Natsume's cold tone. Uchikido couldn't help but feel wary of the goth woman. "Ahem, well, let's continue." She coughed, alleviating the tension.

It was now Musashi's turn. "I'm Manami Musashi. 19 years old and just starting the Fashion Design program. I like shopping, jewelry, money, and the finer things in life. I dislike cry babies, whiners, losers, and creepy stalkers who keep asking me for money. And my dream is to design clothes for a living while living lavishly in a huge mansion."

The college professor blinked in mild surprise, not expected such an introduction. "How…interesting…"

Lastly, Furura stepped up. "Um…my name's Sayuri Furura, but my friends call me Fu-chan. I'm 21 and a freshman in the instructional design program. I like everything except spicy things, and as for dreams…well, last night, I dreamt that I was a potato chip, and all of my friends were being eaten one by one until I was left…"

Noting the odd looks and sweat-drops from the classmates, Musashi decided to interrupt her friend. "We're not talking about those kinds of dreams. Uchikido-sensei meant what kind of profession you want in the future." She corrected.

"Oh, I understand now! Let's see…in the future, I hope to become a teacher!"

Everyone had pale looks while Uchikido had a disgruntled look on her face. "…I'll be sure to warn the department of education of your coming. You all may sit down now. Please." She added flatly. She could tell that group is going to be giving her many headaches in the future.

While the other groups introduced themselves, Musashi couldn't help but give Hiroshi a secretive, yet scrutinizing glance. For some reason, it looked as though he was trying to stay as far away from Natsume, Furura and herself as much as possible. It was subtle, but it seemed as though he was—

_SLAP!_

Musashi was startled out of her thoughts by the sharp sound of a hand hitting someone's cheek. She turned to see Takeshi staring at Natsume wide eyed, who was sitting next to him and staring with dangerous eyes. "What was that for?" Takeshi exclaimed, put into a state of great surprise.

"The rate you think unholy thoughts is frightening. Please refrain from thinking such perverted thoughts while you're in my presence." Natsume requested with a hint of threatening in her voice.

"Whoa…are you psychic or something?"

"Yes, though in this situation, it's unfortunate."

Touki couldn't help but laugh heartily at the scene. "Looks like you got told, Takeshi-san!"

Furura sweat-dropped fiercely as she whispered to Musashi. "It looks like we have some interesting teammates for this semester…"

'_Let's see…we have a psychic goth, a surfer dude, a lecher (must remember to keep him away from Fu-chan), and a weird, nerdy, fidgety guy…yeah, interesting is certainly the word for it…'_ Musashi thought dryly.

Group Dynamics was definitely going to be a course the girls would never forget.

2 days passed, and it was now Wednesday, which was the day Musashi and Furura attended math class. While it was a subject Musashi utterly failed, Furura was surprisingly gifted in many forms of academics. Unfortunately, Furura failed in just about everything else.

The living situation for the two hasn't changed in the least. As hard as they've tried to find a roommate or another place to live, there wasn't a place available. The situation was growing dire.

While walking to their class together, Furura decided to bring up an interesting topic. "Hey, Mu-chan, do you like cats?"

Safe to say, it was an unexpected question. "I guess so. Why do you ask?"

"It's because I managed to find a place to stay, but it has a lot of cats there."

"Really? What kind of place is it?"

"Um…let me check. A man in a fancy purple suit gave me a flyer for it…ah ha, here it is!" retrieving it from her backpack, Furura showed Musashi a flyer depicting very crude and suggestive pictures of scantily clad women. The main headline read _Pimpster's Cathouse, where the kittens play all night long_. "The man said the people they are even willing to pay us to stay. Isn't that wonderful? Uh…Mu-chan…?" Furura peered over Musashi curiously, who had long face-faulted after seeing the flyer.

"That is NOT the kind of place we will be staying at!" Musashi shouted, ripping the flyer in pieces. That Furura always attracted the strangest kind of people…

After a quick lesson on what a pimp was, the two arrived at their math class. The classroom, like any other, had plain, beige walls, tanned tile floors and a white, Styrofoam ceiling with built in lights at certain spots. Most of the students had already arrived, as did the teacher, who was donned in a lab coat, red shirt and brown slacks.

Apparently, lab coats were a trend for teachers.

The grey haired old man decided to start class. "Alright, if everyone is present, let's start class. I, Ookido Hakase, will be your instructor for this course. I suppose we should start off with some simple questions, illustrated in your books. Please turn to page 14 so we may start." After everyone grabbed and open their thick, mathematically packed textbooks, the professor began teaching the class.

During the lesson, Musashi gave a quick nudge at Furura, who was sitting next to her. "Hey, do you see that guy over there?" She pointed to the russet haired man sitting at his desk, his eyes screaming boredom.

"Isn't that Hiroshi-san from Group Dynamics? How nice that he has the same class as us!"

"Yeah. There's something I've been wondering about even since I saw him. With the way he acts, this leads me to believe that he might actually be afraid of girls."

That tugged at Furura's curiosity. "Really? Why would he be afraid?"

Musashi glanced back at the boy, propping her head up with her hand. "I'm not even sure if he really is afraid. It could be something else. What do you thing Fu-chan? ...Fu-chan…?" Musashi turned around to find Furura missing from her seat.

This was not a good sign.

Musashi, daring the possibility of Furura doing something idiotic (which was a dangerously high possibility) slowly turned her gaze the other direction, only to gape in astonishment.

Crouched next to Hiroshi, Furura started talking to the russet haired adult. "Excuse me, Hiroshi-san, is it true you are afraid of women?" She asked innocently, as though she didn't expect the man to be somewhat embarrassed.

"W-what? O-of course not! What would give you that idea?" Hiroshi denied in a whisper. His face had a tint of red in it, caused by anxiety and embarrassment.

"It's because you seem to avoid women for some reason. Oh, but wait, gay guys do that too. Does that mean you are gay as well? Are all gay guys afraid of women?"

Musashi, able to hear the conversation, gawked in absolute shock.

Apparently, subtlety wasn't in Furura's dictionary.

And to add to Hiroshi's embarrassment, Furura's lack of stealth was obvious to the rest of the classmates and professor.

"I'm not gay! Look, would you please go away. People. Are. Staring." Hiroshi emphasized, silently questioning himself as to why he was still whispering.

Ookido, while having the ability to stop the strange conversation, found too much humor in it. It sure beat teaching.

"If you're not gay, then why are you afraid of girls?" Furura pressed, inching closer.

Hiroshi started sweating nervously, feeling slightly overwhelmed by Furura's presence. Though he wanted to tell the girl off, his head was starting to spin. He wanted out, and fast. "Ma'am, for goodness sake, I'm begging you, please go…" His breathing increased to small shudders. He was slowly losing his cool.

Musashi, currently in panic mode, attempting to throw whatever silent messages she could at Furura to tell her to shut up and sit down before embarrassing herself any further.

Furura, not getting the message, decided to go further with her 'investigation'. "Could you please tell me? Pretty please?" She pleaded cutely, using her perfected puppy dog eyes.

And that's when Hiroshi couldn't take any more.

_POOF!_

The class, startled by the burst of purple smoke, drew back in surprise. At the corner of Musashi's eyes, she could vaguely identify a small creature scurrying under the student's desks, who were currently mesmerized by the puff of smoke. When the cloud disappeared, Hiroshi was no where to be found.

Ookido, even though he was also surprised, had to get the class under control. "Everyone, please settle down. I'm sure Hiroshi's disappearance is only temporary. Please settle down. Especially you Sayuri-san."

"Oh…okay." Furura complied and sat back in her seat. Musashi swiftly slapped her upside the head.

"You idiot! Don't go asking people such direct questions!"

"I'm sorry Mu-chan, but I couldn't help it. I didn't think he would explode though…"

Musashi cupped her chin, pondering about the small creature she saw escape. She wondered if it was somehow linked to Hiroshi's disappearance. "Hey, Fu-chan, follow my lead…" After receiving a confirmed nod, Musashi stood up and caught the hakase's attention. "Excuse me Ookido-hakase. My friend and I need to go to the bathroom."

Ookido sighed, far too used to the old trick of trying to skip class. "I fail to see why the both of you need to go at the same time. Save it until I'm done with the lesson."

Musashi made a silent growl. So that's how it was, huh? It looked like she would have to take out the big guns. "It's kind of an emergency. You see, we're kinda in the cycle at the moment, and—" And she went into a detail explanation of what women need to do in the bathrooms. Before her especially crude lecture could progress any further, the professor stopped her, eyes wide.

"You don't have to say anymore. Just go." No matter how old of a man he was, hearing about a female's "woman problems" would always freak him out. The rest of the girls in the class giggled while the men sighed, feeling sympathetic for the old man.

After leaving the class, Musashi led Furura through the halls in order to confirm her suspicions. For one thing, with the way Hiroshi acted towards Furura, it was obvious he would go out of his way to get away from females. Because of this, it was even more obvious he would go to a man's ultimate safe haven, where no woman would dare to tread.

…Until now…

Kicking open the door, she walked into the room as though she owned the place. The fact some men were at the urinals of the men's bathroom didn't faze her in the least, though the same couldn't be said for them. "Alright boys, finish your business and beat it!" Still startled by Musashi's entry, the men did as instructed and left the bathroom. "Fu-chan, guard the door!" Furura nodded and made sure no one left the bathroom.

Musashi stepped in front of the first stall and opened the door. Nothing. Walking to the next stall, she opened it, only to scare the wits of a man who was trying to finish his business. She glanced down on him for a moment, then back up, scrunching up her nose in disgust. "Talk about unimpressive. I feel sorry for any girl you plan on taking home tonight…" She closed the door on the now pride-destroyed man and went to the last stall. She opened it, to find no one there. She shrugged, and then closed the door. After counting to 5, she swiftly opened it again, to find a small purple monkey with a hand-like tip of a tail stare at her with shocked eyes.

"Aha!" Musashi cried victoriously, pointing at the Aipom. The small monkey tried to slip past Musashi, but the woman was far too swift and caught him by the tail. "I got him Fu-chan!" Stepping out of the stall, she met with Furura in the middle of the bathroom. The poor Aipom was desperate to escape, but Musashi had too good of a grip on his tail. "I'm very suspicious about this Aipom. I figured I would find Hiroshi-san here, but instead I find this monkey. For some reason, I feel he's somehow related to Hiroshi's disappearance."

"Related? Maybe he's Hiroshi-san's cousin?"

Musashi and the Aipom sweat-dropped. "Not related as in family, but somehow linked." Musashi corrected.

"Oh, I get it! Maybe Hiroshi-san somehow turned into a monkey!"

"Now that's just plain ridiculous! I doubt Hiroshi-san would suddenly turn into—" Musashi could only partly finish her sentence before—

_POOF!_

The Aipom was again engulfed in purple smoke. Once the smoke dissolved, a red faced Hiroshi replaced the Aipom's place, being held upside down by Musashi. Unfortunately, his tail was replaced by his other _tail_, which Musashi still kept a good grip on. There was a moment of stunned silence as the girls stared in surprise.

"…Mu-chan…?"

"Yes…?"

"…Isn't this what they call catching someone with their pants down?"

"…I guess it technically is, but this is seriously overkill…"

"Could you please let me go? It's starting to hurt!" Hiroshi cried, not liking where the woman was holding him.

"Why, so you can run away?" Musashi denied.

Furura sweat-dropped once she got the picture, a small blush on her cheeks. "Um…Mu-chan, I think he wants you to let go because of what you're holding…"

Musashi looked up to notice Aipom tail she was holding was replaced by Hiroshi's _tail_. She paled slightly at the piece of flesh she was holding. "Oh…good point…ew…"

Just then, the girls and the captured Hiroshi heard the door open and turned to see an innocent bystander gawk at them with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

A very awkward moment soon followed.

"…I'll…just come back later…" The man mumbled as he quickly closed the door behind him. That was more than he ever wanted to see.

"Um…okay, now that he's gone…CAN YOU LET GO OF ME?" Hiroshi yelled. Musashi instantly released him, accidentally forgetting he was upside down. "Ow…"

"Oh, that reminds me. I think this is yours…" Furura pulled out Hiroshi's clothing from her backpack. "I noticed this after you disappeared from the smoke. I kinda thought you might've wanted to keep it…"

"Oh…well…thank you…" Hiroshi quickly grabbed his clothes and got fully dressed.

"Alright, start talking." Musashi demanded, towering over the man.

"Um…err…well…it's kind of complicated to explain. Could we do it elsewhere?" Hiroshi requested.

"Sure. Follow me." Musashi agreed.

After leaving the bathroom and finding a more secured location, Hiroshi finally decided to confess his secret. Musashi and Furura were quite surprised with his story. "So let's get this straight. You're part of a family where certain members are cursed, and if hugged by an opposite gender or under stress, you transform into Pokémon of the zodiac?"

"Yep. That's about the size of it. Probably think I'm a freak, huh?" Hiroshi sighed.

Musashi took a moment to ponder it. "…Yep, you're definitely a class-A weirdo."

Hiroshi face-faulted. Musashi didn't have to agree with him THAT easily.

"Mu-chan! That's mean!" Furura pouted.

"Relax, I was just kidding. Really, while I'll have to admit it's different from what I'm used to, you're definitely not class-A. I think your cousin fits that rank a lot better than you." Musashi sniggered.

Hiroshi recovered and laughed at the joke. "Heh, yeah, I suppose so. But anyway, could you not tell anyone about this?"

"Hmm…I dunno. I mean, you caused us a lot of trouble with the chaos you started…" Musashi pondered.

"You guys were the one who started the chaos!" Hiroshi said irritably.

"Hiroshi-san, is your curse the reason why you are afraid of women?" Furura asked.

"Um…kinda. It's a fear I had for many years, the curse was partially the reason. The truth is I really want to get over it. This crazy phobia of mine has caused me a lot of problems, and it's hard for me to make friends. I want to be normal like everyone else, but…it's hard. That's why I'm attending a co-ed college, so I can try to get over it. So far, there's been no success."

"Oh…I see." Furura nodded. "So your reason for not liking women is because of your curse and you're gay?"

"DAMMIT, I'M NOT GAY!" Hiroshi yelled in fury.

Musashi, who was in deep thought, was starting to form ideas. "Tell me, where do you live?"

"Hm? Oh, well, I live not too far from here. My parents moved out of their old house and decided to let me take over."

"How big is your house?" Musashi pressed on.

"Oh, it's pretty big actually. I live by myself, so I have plenty of room. Why do you ask?"

"Okay, let's make a deal! How would you like me and Fu-chan to not only keep your secret a secret, but help you get over your fear as well?"

"Really? That would be great!" Hiroshi praised.

"…Under one condition." Musashi added.

"Sure, anything."

"You let us live in your house."

Hiroshi paled at the thought. Given what he knew about the two so far, they would be full of trouble. "No way! I can't accept that." A mischievous grin appeared on Musashi's lips.

That couldn't be good.

"Fine. It looks like you need a little convincing." A plan in mind, Musashi faced Furura, who stared questionably at her. "Fu-chan, what's your bra size?"

Furura blinked. "Um…I dunno. Let me check…" She started wrestling off her shirt in order to check.

A furious blush appeared on Hiroshi's face as Furura started unbuttoning her bra to check the tag. "OKAY, OKAY, YOU CAN STAY OVER! I SURRENDER!" Hiroshi pleaded desperately.

"Sounds good. Never mind Fu-chan." Musashi said. Furura, unsure of what just happened, shrugged and put her clothes back on. Smiling victoriously, she patted on Hiroshi's shoulder, who had a zombified expression on his face. "Glad to hear it. We'll be at your house as soon as tomorrow! Let's go Fu-chan!" Musashi walked happily back to the math class, as did Furura.

Hiroshi was still in suspended animation, with one thought crossing his mind over and over. "Just what…in heaven's name…have I gotten myself into…?"

* * *

And that's the third and last character for Bachiatari Megumi. There will be plenty of fun, humor and romance to come in the future. Man, this fic is going to be so much fun to write! 

Anyway, please review and let me know how you like this third installment. Also, let me know which of the three character storylines you find to be a favorite (you can pick more than one if you wish, though narrowing it down would help). Until next time!


	4. Haruka saga: No pain, no gain

Here's the next chapter for you guys, this one continuing the Haruka Saga. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

It had been several days after Takeshi's meeting with the Soma head family. Though Haruka had been trying to get along with Yuuki, it was apparent he wanted nothing to do with her. As a matter of fact, he was either training outside the Soma house or having bouts with Shuu. Unfortunately, Yuuki has yet to win a single match, which only increased his fury. Takeshi, as usual, always made a comical or teasing comment towards Yuuki. Quite frankly, Yuuki was itching to be away from them all. 

Currently, it was a quiet Sunday in the Soma house as everyone was seated in the dinning room.

"WHAT!?" Yuuki shouted, causing the Soma house to tremble under his teenage fury.

…Well, maybe not quiet …

"That's right; you have to start attending high school. Sakaki-sama's orders." Takeshi informed cheerily.

"But…that means I would have to go to the same place as HIM!" Yuuki pointed angrily at Shuu, who also didn't share Takeshi's cheerful disposition.

"I was hoping to have a peaceful school year, but with him going to my school, it will only prove to be a hindrance." Shuu sighed.

Yuuki huffed. "You don't have to worry about that! Especially since I'm not going!"

"Don't make such a fuss! It will be fun, honest!" Takeshi attempted to reassure the hostile teen. It didn't work.

"I don't see how. I mean, there are _girls_ there!" Yuuki stated this fact as though girls were dangerous Pokémon roaming the school.

Takeshi gave him an odd look. "Yes Yuuki-kun, girls do go to school. Perhaps I should tell you they even live in houses and eat like we do."

The ruby eyed teen slammed his fist on the table, causing Haruka to jump. "That's not what I meant! Think about it: If one of us gets hugged by a girl in such a public place, there will be tons of trouble!"

Takeshi sighed. "You have to learn that female interaction doesn't always mean hugs, and you can't go through life worrying about that."

Yuuki rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, sure, you make it sound so easy when it's not. I, for one, will not stand here and—"

"Do me a favor and stop yelling like an idiot. You're only making yourself look more foolish than you already are." Shuu said icily, tossing Yuuki an annoyed glare.

"Grr…you know what? I've just had it with all of you! I'm going outside!" Successfully perturbed, Yuuki stormed outside with a dangerous scowl.

"Yuuki-san…" Haruka wanted to say something, but Yuuki was long gone before she could even consider her words. The boy was really irked about going to school. "Um, is he really that against going to school?" She asked, though the answer was very obvious.

"Well, yes and no. The thing with Yuuki-kun is that he never went to a co-ed school, so he's a bit apprehensive. I'm sorry you had to witness all of that." Takeshi apologized.

"No, it's okay, really. I just wish there was a way to be on good terms with Yuuki-san. It seems like he really dislikes me…"

Takeshi shook his head. "No, he just has a hard time getting adjusted to things. I'm sure he'll be going to school tomorrow."

Shuu released another sigh. "And there goes the end of my peaceful days at Sekiyou High…"

It was apparent the next day that Takeshi's claim about Yuuki was correct. Though he didn't like it, the white haired and hostile teenager forced himself to go to school with Haruka and Shuu.

Of course, the minute Yuuki stepped into the school, he almost resorted to gagging himself at the sight of girls swooning for the _great_ Soma Shuu.

"What is up with these people? Don't they realize what a jerk he is?" Yuuki pondered aloud, glancing left and right at the female students. Unfortunately for him, he also attracted some attention. He could hear the small chatter between the students, who had no idea who he was or how he was connected with Shuu.

Shuu, hearing Yuuki's comment, was quick to retort. "It's easy to mistaken who really is a jerk. The truth is in a mirror, so take a look and be horrified."

"Stupid prick…" Yuuki mumbled. No matter how much he wanted to beat him senseless, he'd promised Takeshi to not cause a ruckus in public. At least that didn't mean he could do it when no one was looking.

Haruka, sensing the obviously strong tension between the boys, made a plea to change the subject. "Yuuki-san, may I show you to the registrar office so you can get your schedule?"

"Whatever." Yuuki answered not too happily. He followed Haruka down the halls towards the office. Once he got there, he leaned against the wall with his hands tucked into his pockets. "I'll take it from here. Go ahead to class."

Haruka blinked, slightly confused. "Do you know your way around here?"

"…Yeah, let's go with that." Yuuki lied. He would rather wander aimlessly than hang around a girl that might cause him to transform.

"Sure, okay. I'll be seeing you then." Haruka turned around and left for her class. Once she was far enough from Yuuki, she couldn't help but show her feeling of discouragement. Ever since she met Yuuki, the two hadn't managed to get along at all. No matter how friendly she was, Yuuki avoided her like a plague. It was truly dispiriting.

After arriving, Haruka sat in her assigned chair. She propped her head up with her arm and exhaled deeply. All she wanted was to make friends with Yuuki. She could only hope her staying with the Somas wasn't making Yuuki's life miserable.

"You!" A girl shouted.

Haruka released another breath. She just _knew_ this was coming. Glancing up, the brunette saw Tsutsuji staring her down. "Um…hi?" She greeted meekly. Here it comes…

"I've been hearing a lot of strange things today! For one thing, rumors have been flying around that you walked to school again with Shuu-kun! Not only that, but there's another boy associated with him! I want answers, Haruka-san! What is your relationship with Shuu-kun?" Tsutsuji demanded.

"Relationship? We're just friends, that's all! There's nothing going on!"

Tsutsuji narrowed her eyes. "Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something? You know something I don't, don't you?"

Haruka was starting to sweat bullets. She surely couldn't tell her the Soma's family secret. "I don't know anything else! I know just as much as you do, really!"

"Hmph, is that so? We'll just see about that later!" With a dignified huff, Tsutsuji left to sit on her table, while casting a quick glare at Haruka.

It was only a few moments after when Asuna and Hazuki walked into the classroom. The two could feel Haruka's uneasiness and immediately went to her side. "What's eating you today? Another round of verbal abuse from Tsutsuji-san?" Asuna asked worriedly.

Haruka looked up at her friends, then plopped her chin in her arms, which lay crossed on the desk. "I'm just a little exhausted. I mean, for the past week, there's this…uh…guy I met recently."

"Oh? Is our little Haruka-chan hitting on guys?" Asuna teased.

"It's not like that! The whole thing is a little…complicated…"

"Huh…I think I get it…" Asuna's face grew dark and serious as she leaned closer to Haruka, making sure only Haruka could hear her. "Haruka-chan…you didn't…" She glanced around once more, and then whispered in Haruka's ear. "…You didn't get pregnant, did you?"

"No! I didn't mean anything like that either!" Haruka denied frantically. Her face turned bright pink.

Hazuki was confused. "Is something the matter? Maybe I can help?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!" Asuna screeched. The entire class turned to stare at Asuna as though she had just lost her mind. She noticed this and flushed in embarrassment. "Oh…uh…I mean, it's not something you can help with…at least I hope not…" She said with a calmer tone.

Haruka released a sweat-drop, swearing she saw killing intent in Asuna's eyes for a split second. Talk about scary. "Um…it's not that serious, really. It's just that I haven't been getting along with him lately, and I get the feeling he dislikes me…a lot…"

"Why is that? Did something happen between you two?" Hazuki asked.

Haruka scratched her head, trying to think of a way to explain the situation without spoiling any secrets. "The thing is…that…" Before she could continue, she heard the sound of the door opening. Everyone went to their respective seats as Wataru walked to the front of the class room.

"Good morning class." Wataru greeted.

"Morning sensei!"

"Today, we have a new student who will be attending our class. He's…a bit on the volatile side, so feel free to pick on him like crazy." The students sweat-dropped at the comment, but Wataru continued. "Please welcome our newest student: Soma Yuuki!"

Haruka gasped in surprise while Shuu's forehead dropped on the desk in despair. Of all the classes…

Yuuki walked into the room, his red eyes glancing over the student body. Once it fell on Shuu, he was immediately hostile. "Oh HELL no! Wataru-san, what's the meaning of this?" He pointed at Shuu, who had a sour look on his face.

"Just great. My only sanctuary away from him has just turned into a nightmare…" Shuu groaned.

Wataru sighed knowingly. This was going to be a lively school year. "Look, I'll spare you from sitting too close to Shuu, just because I would rather have my classroom free of destruction. The only other seat available is that one." The teacher pointed to a seat just behind Haruka, who shrunk in her seat.

Yuuki was prone to argue when he soon realized that as long as he sat away from Shuu, he could care less where he sat. He walked stiffly towards his seat, making sure to avoid stepping near any girl he walked past. However, once he was right next to Asuna's desk, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait a minute…" He glanced at the person in the desk, who was poorly trying to cover her face with a text book.

The fact it was upside down didn't fool him.

He grabbed Asuna's red hair and yanked it up. "Ow, ow, ow! Watch the hair!" Asuna hissed. Once her eyes locked onto Yuuki's narrowed ones, she laughed uneasily, a little bit nervous. "U-u-um…f-fancy meeting you here…hehehehe…"

"First I have the same class as that bastard, then I have to sit behind friendship chick…" Haruka sunk further in her seat at that remark. "…And now I find you here. Well, doesn't this day just get better and better?" Yuuki said sardonically.

Haruka was muddled. How did Yuuki know Asuna? "Um…Asuna-chan, do you know Yuuki-san?"

Asuna smacked Yuuki's hands away from her hair, wincing at the pain applied to it. "I kinda wish I didn't. You see, He's actually…my older brother…"

"WHAT?" Haruka gasped with great surprise. There was a wave of murmurs from the students. Hazuki was speechless. Once Haruka did the math, there was a fact about Asuna she had forgotten.

Asuna's family name was Soma.

'_Wait a minute…if she's related to Yuuki-san, who is a part of the Pokémon Zodiac, does that mean…Asuna-chan's a part of the zodiac as well?'_ This was a new wave of information she hadn't thought possible. But if that was the case, it would explain why she reacted so strongly whenever she was near a boy.

Yuuki went to his seat and class finally began. During class, Asuna started scribbling small notes on a piece of paper and handed it to Haruka, who sat behind her. _"So tell me, who's the guy that's been giving you headaches?"_ She asked.

Haruka scribbled her answer and sent it back. _"If you promise not to make too much of a fuss over it, it's actually your brother."_

Asuna replied to the message. _"WHAT? How on earth do you know him?"_

"_Well…it's a little complicated. I'll try to explain it after class. Also, I have to ask you something. Are you different like your brother?"_

After reading the message, Asuna couldn't help but be confused. _"What do you mean by different?"_

"_What I mean is…can you transform?"_

Once Asuna read the note, her eyes widened. She was taken by complete surprise. _"How do you know about that? No one's supposed to know that!"_

"_I'll explain everything to you in private. Could you meet me alone at the usual spot?"_

"_Yeah, sure. I was just about to suggest that. After recess, I'll meet you there."_

"_Okay." _With the plans set, Haruka awaited eagerly for recess. At least she would be able to find out some info.

A few hours later, Haruka told Yuuki, Shuu and Hazuki she would meet up with them later as she made her way behind the school. There, Asuna was leaning against the wall. Haruka began explaining everything from her change of living situation to her issues with getting along with Yuuki.

"You've GOT to be kidding me! You mean to tell me not only did you live in a tree house, but now you're living with Shuu-kun, my brother and Takeshi-san?"

"Um…yeah. That's about the gist of it. It's not a big deal or anything, but I just didn't want anyone worrying about me. I didn't mean to surprise you so much…" Haruka couldn't help but feel a little relieved though. At least she was able to get everything off her chest.

"Well, this is certainly something big. You're probably the first person I've heard of that has actually found out the secret and not have their memories taken away."

That caught Haruka's attention. "Have their memories taken away?"

"Oh, did I say that out loud? Ignore that." Asuna said quickly. The last thing she wanted was to make Haruka worry about such a thing. "Anyway, I guess given what's going on, it can't be helped."

"Oh, right, I wanted to ask you something about that. Are you the same as Yuuki? As in…the zodiac thing?"

Asuna looked sadden by the thought. "…Yeah, I am. It's probably a bit obvious to you now, given how you've seen me react against guys…"

Haruka remembered alright. All of the guys who hit on Asuna were all put in there place…a lot of which were hospital beds. It was apparent how bad Asuna had it now, given the girl's strong feelings for Hazuki. "I see. That also explains why you don't want to get too close to Hazu-kun…"

"Yeah. It's rough to be a part of the Pokémon Zodiac. I want to be able to do normal things like you are able to do. I want to go to dates, get married and all of that jazz. But…it's a scary thought as to what that person might think of you when they see you transform into a Pokémon when they hug you. You don't know how many times I've dreamt of being held by Hazu-kun, but…whenever I think of how he would react when he sees me transform…it frightens me. You understand how I'm feeling, right?"

It was a sad thought that depressed Haruka. It wasn't the fact Asuna didn't have the courage to confront Hazuki, but that she couldn't tell him. She had no idea how Hazuki would react if he ever found out. Would he be scared off or would he accept it? It was a huge gamble, possibly too huge. "Yeah, I understand. I wish there was a way to help or at least make it so you wouldn't transform if you were to hug Hazu-kun. I never knew it was this serious."

"Yeah, but don't worry about it! It's all cool, and now that you know, we can communicate better. No sweat!" Asuna reassured, patting Haruka on the back. She didn't want her best friend to fret over such a topic. It would only cause Asuna more grief. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, you said that Yuuki-oniichan was the jerk whose been giving you a headache?"

"Well, while I'll admit he can be a bit hostile, I don't want to go so far as to call him that."

"Puh-lease! He can be such a baby! If one thing doesn't go his way, he always makes a fuss. But don't you worry: I'll straighten him out for ya!" Rolling up her sleeves, Asuna started striding around the corner.

"W-wait Asuna-chan! Don't do anything rash!" Haruka pleaded, chasing after her friend.

The red haired tomboy flashed her best friend a reassuring smile, one Haruka learned that it meant something crazy. "Relax, everything will be fine." She turned her head to face forward, only to notice someone turning the same corner.

_SMACK!_

Asuna slammed into someone's chest. Upon gazing into the eyes of the person she bumped into, she gasped in surprise, blood rushing to her face.

It was Hazuki.

_POOF!_

"Ah…!" Haruka's eyes widened in horror. Of all the people for Asuna to transform in front of, it just had to be Hazuki.

The situation couldn't have gotten anymore dire.

"Ugh…man Asuna-chan, you need to watch where you're goi…huh?" He blinked several times in confusion.

What was a Ponyta doing on high school grounds?

And further more, why did Haruka look like she was about to have a heart attack?

"H-H-H-Hazu-kun! W-w-what are you doing here?" Haruka stammered.

"Well, me and Yuuki-kun was looking for you guys and thought to come here, but…uh…what are you doing back here with a Ponyta? And didn't I just bump into Asuna-chan just now?"

"Ah…ah…ah…n-n-n-no, not at all! And about the Ponyta…um…err…" Haruka looked at the Ponyta, who gazed back at her desperately, praying she would come up with an excuse, and quick. "The…Ponyta…is actually…my…long lost Ponyta named…erm…Asuna-chan!"

The Ponyta face-faulted. Haruka couldn't come up with a more original name? Even a terrible name would've been better than that…

"So you're Ponyta's name is…Asuna-chan…?" Hazuki inquired unsurely, sweat-dropping.

Haruka quickly summed up a story. "Well you see…she reminds me so much of Asuna-chan, especially since she's so strong and lively! That's it!"

"Hmm…" the martial artist cupped his chin as he analyzed the "Ponyta". "She definitely seems in pretty good condition…huh?" He knelt down and picked up something off the ground. A small tint of red growing on his cheeks. "W-what's Asuna-chan's clothes doing here?"

Haruka paled. Now she _really_ needed to think of something. Unfortunately, she was speechless. She paled even more once Hazuki started toying with Asuna's clothes, namely her underwear. "U-um…I REALLY think you shouldn't do that…"

"Oh relax, it isn't like she's here or anything. Besides…" Hazuki raised a pair of panties with tiny dancing Teddiursas on them. "These are just too cute!"

A furious glare appeared on Asuna's face. That tore it.

_WHAM!_

"AAAAH!" Hazuki was sent flying by Asuna's hard hooves, bounding over a great distance.

After Hazuki disappeared, Haruka fell to her knees, extremely bewildered. "Th…that was different…"

Asuna sighed. "I swear, that boy does not know the meaning of privacy..."

"Speaking of which, I couldn't help but notice what happened, and I'm truly disappointed."

Haruka whirled around to see Yuuki standing behind her. "Y-YUUKI-SAN!" She stuttered. What scared her was the fact he looked very, very angry with her.

"I should've known you would be full of trouble. Had that Hazuki guy actually catch a good glimpse of Asuna-chan, things would've been very bad. Tch, you're such a disappointment." He shot coldly. As he walked past Haruka, the girl's kindred flame had dimmed substantially. Her eyes were cast on the floor, full of shame.

Asuna saw this and was extremely upset. "Yuuki! Don't you dare speak about her like that! She didn't—"

"It's…alright Asuna-chan…he's right. I've just been getting in the way…"

"If you know that, then get out of the way." Yuuki snapped angrily.

"Yuuki…!" Asuna growled.

_POOF!_

"Ack!" Yuuki turned about swiftly. The last thing he wanted was to see his own little sister naked. He watched Haruka as she slowly stood up.

"Yuuki-san…I'm sorry for being such a pain. I'll be going now so I don't be a burden again…" Haruka gave an apologetic bow before walking back to class.

Yuuki grunted upon seeing Haruka turning the corner. "Man, it's a good thing you weren't caught, otherwise there would be big trouble, right Asuna-chan?" Not hearing a response, he turned around to see Asuna standing in front of him. Tears were brimming under her eyes, shooting daggers at her older brother.

_POW!_

Startled, Yuuki stumbled backward. He gingerly held onto the cheek that Asuna punched. "What the hell is—"

"NO! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Asuna roared, pointing at Yuuki. "Of all the things you are, I've never would've thought you were such an insensitive bastard!"

"Alright, time out, what is going on with you? I don't know if you realize this, but that girl is going to give all us Somas trouble!"

"SHE giving US trouble!? Maybe if you've actually taken five seconds to actually KNOW her, you would change your opinion!"

"Please, I'll bet she's just a little run away who ran away from home!"

Asuna's expression changed to one of disgust. "You should talk…and it's just as I guessed, you really don't know anything! And just to correct you, she has no home!"

Yuuki held back his surprise. "Come on, no home? Don't be ridiculous! What, her parents kicked her out or something?"

_SMACK!_

Asuna struck Yuuki's face, but this time with a slap. "HER PARENTS ARE DEAD YOU FRIGGIN IDIOT! SHE HAS NO FAMILY BUT ME AND HAZU-KUN LEFT!" A small droplet of tears escaped. "…You know what, I don't even know you anymore…" And with that, she ran off, trying to dry her eyes before returning to class.

Yuuki remained standing, eyes wide with shock. He had no idea Haruka had it so bad. Even though life wasn't easy for him, at least he had his dad or sister hanging around him.

Haruka had only her friends left…

The poor girl was alone and without a home…

In fury, Brendan roared and slammed his fist into the wall. He hated this. He really hated this. The girl was only trying to befriend him, and yet, like always, he lashed out without giving her a second thought. Right from the get-go, he regarded her as nothing more than an annoyance.

But now he was the annoyance…

He pressed his forehead against the wall, guilt overtaking him like a tidal wave. People were always telling him to watch his temper. They cautiously warned him how cruel his words could be. Being the hardheaded teen he was, he ignored them all. He never had friends, and the only people he communicated with were his family, who were far too used to his anger issues.

However, that proved to be his undoing…

Yuuki released a long sigh. "This just isn't fair. I'm the one who truly deserves the insults…"

After the school day was over, everyone headed back home. Yuuki continued to sulk as he walked home with Shuu and Haruka. He glanced at the two, who were in a conversation. Haruka was talking with her usual cheerful voice. Though it was subtle, it was clear that Haruka was trying to stay away from Yuuki. He understood why.

She was afraid of him.

'_Makes sense.'_ He thought wryly. Of course he deserved it, but…he would rather have her hate him than be afraid. It made him feel more like a beast than a transformable human.

After they arrived at the house, they took off their shoes by the door and stepped inside. "Um…I'm going to go ahead and get out of my school clothes before cooking dinner. Is that alright?" Haruka requested.

"Don't mind us, go ahead. We'll be in the dining room." Shuu said.

Yuuki remained silent, casting his gaze anywhere but at Haruka. He could barely stand to face her without feeling the force of all the foul things he said to her.

"I'll be right back." Haruka went up stairs and into her room.

Once she was out of sight, Shuu turned around and gave Yuuki a serious glance. "Something happened between you two, didn't it?" No response. Yuuki was being uncharacteristically quiet. "Don't tell me you did what you normally do and lashed at her like an idiot…" Still no answer. Shuu's eyes narrowed. "Listen. While you're staying at this house, you are to refrain from speaking to Haruka like you do with everyone else. She's not used to your obnoxious attitude, and I don't think she plans on it either."

Yuuki said nothing as he headed to the dinning room ahead of Shuu, which baffled the green haired Soma.

He didn't even put up a battle…

Whatever happened was seriously eating at Yuuki.

Yuuki was walking down the hall when Takeshi called out to him. "Yuuki-kun, my ever-so-hostile friend, how was school?" Takeshi asked with a happy tone.

"Not so good…" Yuuki sighed, stepping inside Takeshi's study. The room had many books and all of Takeshi's literature supplies. Yuuki sat by the open door on the other side of the room, which lead to the porch.

Takeshi gave Yuuki a surprised yet worried look. "What's bothering you? I haven't seen you this down in a long time."

Yuuki's gaze lead towards the porch, shimmering with increasing guilt. "Tell me, has there even been a time in my life when I wasn't such a pain to be around?"

Well this was interesting. Takeshi had thought to joke and say no, but since this was a once in a lifetime moment where Yuuki was searching for emotional guidance, he opted to be a little serious. "To be quite honest, it's a little rare for you to be mellow. It's just something we've been so used to that it hasn't fazed us."

Yuuki was silent for a beat, considering the words needed to convey how he was feeling. "Sadly, I can barely recall a time where I've actually smiled. I'm always so…so…"

"Hostile?"

"Yeah, hostile. I've always went by my own pace and my own beliefs, feeling that I might actually be recognized by someone, but…my…this damned attitude of mine isn't helping. I…I need…well, you know…a little push in the right direction..."

"Help you mean?"

"Well…I wouldn't go that far, but sure…"

Takeshi closed the book he was writing in, giving his full attention to Yuuki. He had a small idea of what the problem was. "If I'm so bold as to guess, did something happen that made you realize this?"

"…That Haruka girl. Did you know that her parents are…dead?"

"Hmm…no, I didn't. I was actually wondering about that. How sad…"

"And also…she has no other place to go…no other family to stay with. I've said so many things to her, and a lot of it was just out of habit and frustration..."

"Oh, I see now. You're feeling guilty, huh?" Yuuki didn't answer, but Takeshi knew better. "Yuuki-kun, I understand that you have your reasons for being angry at times, but you have to learn that some people are more delicate than others. If you don't want to be an angry person, you'll have to sacrifice some patience. You'll have to learn to be the nice guy once in a while."

"Yeah, I guess, but…"

"Um…excuse me. Sorry to interrupt." Haruka said, holding two plates of hot food in her hands.

Takeshi looked up at Haruka from his sitting position, smiling brightly. "Mmm, rice and fish, life doesn't get any better than this! Thank you for the meal."

"It's no problem! Um…Y-Yuuki-san, I have your plate as well…" She gingerly stepped over to Yuuki as she started handing it to him.

The boy glanced at the girl, a surprised look on his face. She was still being nice to him? "Oh…th-thank you…" He grabbed the plate from Haruka and placed it on his lap.

"You're welcome." Haruka turned around and headed out the doorway.

Yuuki sighed, feeling almost relieved. He looked up at Takeshi, who had a huge grin on his face. The teen grew suspicious. "What are you grinning about?"

"Yuuki-kun's a softie." He sang teasingly.

"I'm not!" He denied heatedly.

"Oh come on, I was just joking with you. Besides, what you did took absolutely no anger or effort, yet it's enough to sometimes make someone's day. Oh, I know! This will be great training for you!"

"Training…on what?"

"On how to be a nice guy. It'll be tons of fun!"

Yuuki sweat-dropped. "Why do I get the feeling you'll have more fun than me?"

"It's quite simple really. Tomorrow you guys are off school for the weekend, right? Take that time to practice being nice to Haruka-kun. Compliment her once in a while and be nice."

Yuuki gave his older relative an odd look. "And what will that accomplish?"

Takeshi smirked knowingly. "A lot more than you might expect. Whenever you do compliment her on anything, watch her expressions and notions. Spend some time with her tomorrow and get to know her. If my hunch is correct, you'll be pleased at what comes out of it."

"So in other words…you want me to be a wimp around her?"

"Correct!"

Yuuki made a muffled groan as he ran his hand through his furry locks. "This is definitely not going to be easy, but I'll give it a shot." He stood up and was about to head out when Takeshi added in a comment.

"By the way, I have only one condition to this challenge: You can't get angry around Haruka-kun."

Yuuki paled. That one condition made it close to impossible.

But alas, he was going to at least give it a shot.

As tomorrow soon arrived, Yuuki got up in the morning, his head filled with all the plans he'd plotted out. Given he spent all of last night thinking up 'nice guy' comments, he was sure to succeed.

…Or so he hoped…

He walked to Haruka's door and knocked gently. No answer. "Must be asleep." He was about to leave when he saw Takeshi walking by. "Hey. Have you seen Haruka anywhere?"

"Haruka-kun? I thought you knew already. She went out with her friends not too long ago."

Yuuki groaned in annoyance. Just great. "Did you happen to catch where they went?"

Takeshi glanced up thoughtfully. "I could've sworn she said something about going to the local fast food restaurant in the city. They left about 10 minutes ago."

"K' thanks." Yuuki walked down the stairs and out the door briskly, shooting past a confused Shuu.

"What's he in a rush for?" Shuu questioned no one in particular. Takeshi chuckled to himself knowingly.

Yuuki had been striding for minutes, glancing around for any sign of the kindred brunette. Normally, he would be aggravated by the thought of going through so much trouble. However, he knew he was solely to blame. This troubled him greatly. Before, whenever he would throw a random fit, people would dismiss it, scold him, or argue back. However, this time, he actually hurt someone, and sadly, it was someone who he barely even knew.

But this time, he was going to surprise everyone.

'_Alright, let me find that girl so I can apologize and get this over with.'_ Yuuki turned a corner, and to his surprise, found Haruka.

Unfortunately, she was with Asuna. If Asuna was still mad at him for yesterday, the situation will quickly prove complicated. Nonetheless, Yuuki had to go through with this. His honor was at stake. "Hey!" Yuuki called.

Haruka, Hazuki and Asuna turned around to see Yuuki heading towards them. Haruka was surprised while Asuna mumbled something indecent to herself. "Hey, Yuuki-kun!" Hazuki called out.

"What? You actually know him?" Asuna questioned in surprise.

"Yeah! We have a lot in common, including martial arts." Hazuki answered, stopping to wait for Yuuki. The rest of the group did the same until Yuuki caught up with them.

"Yuuki-san! W-what a surprise! I thought you would be home." Haruka said.

"Meh, didn't feel like being anywhere near Shuu, but that's another story. So anyway, where were you guys heading to?"

Haruka was about to answer when Asuna cut in. "None of your business! Let's go guys!" Asuna held onto Haruka's hand and dragged her away. Haruka could only mumble confused pleas as she was being dragged away.

Hazuki blinked, unsure of what just transpired. "What was that about? Asuna-chan seemed pretty upset."

"Wait…Asuna…-chan?" Yuuki blinked. Come to think of it, Asuna never was friendly with boys. Any boy who called her –chan would have their faces slammed into concrete seconds flat.

"Oh, that's just what I call her since we're such good friends. Kinda stuck with me, you know?"

"Is that so…? And just how long have you two been hanging out?"

"A few years."

As the two walked to catch up with the girls, a wicked grin appeared on Yuuki's face. So that was the story. It really made sense. "Well, let's catch up with those two before we get left behind." The two rushed to meet up with Asuna and Haruka.

After meeting up with them, the group of four headed for the fast food place that was planned beforehand. After getting their food, they sat at a table where Yuuki and Hazuki sat on one side while Asuna and Haruka sat on the other. Yuuki, given he still had a mission to complete, decided to make conversation. "So, Haruka, is this where you three hang out often?"

Haruka was surprised. Was Yuuki actually conversing with her? "Um…yeah. There are also a few other places, but when we want to relax, we come here."

"Huh, interesting." Yuuki said simply, sipping on his soda.

_Step!_

"ACK!" Yuuki yelped, also jumping out of his seat. Hazuki and Haruka stared at him questionably while Asuna was drinking her soda innocently, secretly glaring at Yuuki. Each of them gave each other a look that held its own conversation.

"_Quit acting so sarcastic towards Haruka-chan!"_

"_I didn't do anything, so stop jumping to conclusions!"_

"_If you try to insult Haruka at all, I'm going to rip you a new one!"_

"_I would like to see you try!"_

"Uh…Yuuki-kun, are you alright?" Hazuki asked.

Yuuki broke his glare and recovered with a cooled expression. He had to remember his promise with Takeshi and himself: He wasn't going to get mad today. "Sorry, bad habit from my training."

"Training?" Haruka asked.

"Oh right, you didn't know. That's understandable." Yuuki said. The comment wasn't meant to be negative, but Asuna thought otherwise.

_Step!_

"YEOW!" Yuuki jumped. Once again, he was given odd looks.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Haruka asked.

Yuuki's eyebrow twitched. He promised…he promised…he continuously chanted that to himself. "Y-yeah, it's that habit again."

"You know what they say: Bad habits bring about bad karma." Asuna quoted, looking innocent.

Yuuki held a confident smirk. He wasn't going to let her get past that last step on his foot. "Speaking of bad karma, Asuna-**chan**, I remember a certain little girl who made a silly promise to herself without realizing it. Let's see…how did it go again…?" He pondered playfully, noting the horrified look in Asuna's eyes. "Oh yeah, it was the only boy I will love is my daddy!"

_Crack!_

"ACK!" Yuuki doubled over on the table, hissing in agony. That damned Asuna kicked him in the shin that time.

"Let's not talk of the past. I hear that it's sometimes _painful._" Asuna seethed through clenched teeth.

Haruka sweat-dropped. "Yuuki-san…do you…need help? Or maybe a doctor?"

Yuuki struggled to fix himself up, straining to force the pain out of his face. "H-h-hey…since we're done eating, w-why don't we go out somewhere…" _'Yeah, and maybe someone will witness Asuna's brutality…'_

"Um…sure?" Haruka agreed unsurely. Perhaps Yuuki needed some fresh air, given his face was contorted in pain. The four left the restaurant and started off in a non-specific direction.

Behind Hazuki and Haruka, the two siblings continued to glare at each other as they walked.

The group headed towards a clothing store next. Yuuki, though he didn't participate in Haruka and her friends' merriment, everyone else was having a good time. He merely watched and observed, waiting for his moment to say something nice, like a compliment.

"Okay, I'm going to try on these clothes. I'll be right back!" Haruka said.

"Me too!" Hazuki stepped into the men's fitting room while Haruka went to the women's. Yuuki sat down in a nearby chair and closed his eyes, releasing a sigh. Over an hour past and he didn't do too much whatsoever. The reason was obvious, annoying, and worst of all, painful.

"Alright, spill it. What are you up to?" Asuna demanded.

Yuuki's eyes opened slowly to gaze into Asuna's narrowed eyes. He could tell what kind of thoughts were going through her mind. It was the same thought everyone had about him. "I'm not doing anything. Stop jumping to conclusions."

"Yeah right! After the way you treated Haruka-chan yesterday, I'm not going to let you do anything else to hurt her! I don't know what you got planned, but I don't want to hear a peep out of you!"

'_Don't get angry…don't get angry…'_ This whole ordeal was getting both out of hand and closer to impossible. Asuna had no idea how badly he wanted to yell at her, to prove to her how wrong she was being about him. Unfortunately, in doing so, he would also prove that she was right about him.

The irony of it all…

"Planned you say? What makes you think I'm going so out of my way just to make Haruka feel bad? Did you think for even a second that maybe I was going to do something different for a change?"

Asuna calmed down, but still looked irritated. "That's something I wanted to see for years, and I thought you going off to your training for those months would've proved something, but apparently it didn't. I can tell you didn't change ever since yesterday, always talking down on people and insulting them."

'_It's not that I do it on purpose, I just didn't realize how badly it would hurt someone…'_ Yuuki had a feeling Asuna wouldn't believe him. He would have to show her. "So I didn't change, huh? We'll just have to see. Ah, and speaking of change, you've also changed."

"Eh? How so?"

"Don't forget, I'm still your brother. I can see it in your eyes, and you got it bad."

"Got what bad?"

Yuuki smirked evilly, making Asuna nervous. "Oh, so it's like that, huh? Maybe this will jog your memory." He stood up and walked next to the men's fitting room. "Hey, Hazuki."

"What's up?" Hazuki asked from inside.

"I just wanted you to know that Asuna really—ACK!"

_CRASH!_

"Don't you dare!" Asuna yelled, blushing hard. She had tackled him on the floor, putting him in a headlock. "If you value your life, you better not say another word!"

"Heh, didn't know you were such a softie. I'll bet you drool over him too—GACK!" Yuuki choked, Asuna's hold tightening.

"Quit being such a jerk." Asuna growled through clenched teeth.

Yuuki was starting to suffocate under Asuna's strangle hold. "I should've known you would always be a beast…."

Just then, Haruka emerged out of the fitting room, only to see Asuna putting Yuuki in a headlock. _'Oh no, the curse!'_ She panicked. "Wait, stop, you two must not fight in here!" She ran to pull the two away from each other, extending her hand.

Only to slip and land on Yuuki.

_POOF!_

"Grrr…" Yuuki snarled irritably, being transformed into his Azumarill form.

"Oh no! What are we going to do? You can't be caught like this!" Haruka dreaded, wide eyed in horror.

Yuuki opened his mouth to yell at the clumsy girl, but remembered the promise. That blasted promise. He released a sigh. "Look, as long as no one was around to see me transform, its fine. Just pick up my clothes for me…please…" He added hesitantly.

Haruka blinked for a moment before complying. "Um…yeah, sure." She crouched over to grab Yuuki's discarded clothing.

Asuna glanced at Yuuki with great surprise. She expected him to wail on Haruka with a string of insulting words. Maybe he really did change… "Brother…"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" An annoying voice resounded.

'_Oh shoot…not now…!'_ Haruka cried mentally. She turned around to see Tsutsuji walking towards her. "Um…h-hi, Tsutsuji-san!"

"What do you want?" Asuna interrogated.

"Oh nothing, just came by to check up on the geek patrol…hm?" Tsutsuji glanced down to see the Azumarill. "Hey, wait a minute…aren't you not allowed to have pets here?"

Haruka started getting nervous, praying that Tsutsuji wouldn't catch on. "Ah, right, that's true, isn't it? W-well, I guess I should probably—"

"There's no need to rush. Let me see the little tyke." Without giving Haruka a chance to respond, the raven haired teenager picked up Yuuki. "Hello there little guy! Aren't you just a little cutie?" Tsutsuji cooed.

_SPLASH!_

Everyone gasped as Yuuki propelled a jet of water from his mouth, drenching Tsutsuji. Tsutsuji tossed him in surprise, Haruka luckily managing to catch him. "Ugh, and I just bought these clothes too!" She mumbled a few curses before storming off, fuming angrily.

"Phew, that was too close..." Haruka exhaled. She looked down on Yuuki, who she held onto in her arms. "That wasn't a very nice thing to do, Yuuki-san."

Yuuki crossed his arms. "Hmph, she had it coming. Calling me cute…"

"Hey guys, sorry I took so long." Hazuki said, stepping out of the men's fitting room. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a t-shirt that was blue on the bottom and red on the top and two blue sweatbands. "So guys, how do I look?"

"Great!" Asuna said with enthusiasm. She caught herself and made an attempt to recover from her slight excitement. "I-I mean…you look good. Really." Glancing at Yuuki, she didn't like the sly look he was giving her.

"Heheh, thanks. I figured you would've liked it." Hazuki muttered to himself. He laid eyes on the Pokémon sitting in Haruka's arms, and blinked in surprise. "Uh…Haruka-kun, what's an Azumarill doing in your arms?"

"Oh…um…well, he just kinda fell in, you know?" Haruka fibbed. Asuna chuckled under her breath at the irony.

"First a Ponyta, now an Azumarill. You find just about the strangest things. Next thing you know, you'll find yourself a boyfriend." Hazuki and Asuna laughed at Haruka's expense, who blushed timidly.

"Hey!" Haruka cried with a flush.

"Oh stop it." Asuna slapped Hazuki on the shoulder playfully.

"Hey, where did Yuuki-kun go?" Hazuki asked.

"Yuuki-san? He…had somewhere to go, so he couldn't stay." Haruka said quickly. Thankfully, Hazuki bought the story.

"Okay. By the way, you look nice." Hazuki complimented to Haruka. The girl wore a pair of black shorts, and a red and white t-shirt. Simple in design, but it really fitted her.

Haruka beamed at the compliment. "Thanks!"

Yuuki glanced up at Haruka and remembered Takeshi's words about watching her expressions. When Hazuki complimented her, Haruka looked really happy. Maybe if he tried, he could do the same…

_Ring-ring-ring!_

"Hm? Hang on a sec." Hazuki took out a cell phone from his side pocket and flipped it open, talking into the receiver. "Hello? Hey mom. I'm not doing anything really, just hanging out with Haruka-chan and Asuna-chan. What, you need help at the hotel? Sure thing, I'll be there soon. K, bye." He closed the cell phone and sighed, facing his two best friends. "Sorry guys, but I gotta go. My mom is getting flooded with clients, so I have to help out."

"It's getting a little late, so I have to get back to my house anyway. Thanks for coming with us today, Hazu-kun." Haruka thanked.

"Always. Hey, Asuna-chan. Since your house is along the way, do you want me to walk you home?"

"Sounds good. Later Haruka-chan." Asuna bided. After paying for their new clothes, everyone went to their separate directions.

When Haruka was alone with the still transformed Yuuki, she sighed despairingly. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble again…" She apologized.

"No, you didn't do anything that bad. I'm sure it was an accident. You probably didn't know that when cursed family members hug, they don't transform."

"Oh…" That certainly explained why Yuuki didn't transform when Asuna had him in a headlock.

"Hey, could you let me down for a minute and give me my clothes?"

"Sure." Haruka placed Yuuki on the ground while giving him his clothes. Because of his small stature, the Azumarill had a tough time balancing it all.

"Wait here a few minutes. I'll be back." Yuuki walked off into the collection of trees next to the path they were walking in. Haruka waited over ten minutes before Yuuki arrived, fully clothed and back to normal. "Thanks for waiting."

"It's no problem. It was my fault in the first place."

Yuuki looked down the path they were walking along. It was a dirt road which would lead to several paths, one of them to the Soma house. Another path would also lead to the house, except it was much longer. "Haruka, is it alright if we don't go home right away? If you want, I was hoping if he could walk together for a little while."

Haruka looked at him in surprise at first. She didn't expect him to sound so…polite. "Ah…yes, it's alright. Let's go for a walk."

As to two took the longer way back to the house, their walk was void of conversation. Haruka couldn't understand what was going through Yuuki's mind. One minute, he's angry with her, the next minute, he's being polite. What could've happened within the last 24 hours? "Umm…Yuuki-san—"

"—Haruka?" Yuuki called at the same time. The two paused for a moment, waiting for the other person to respond. "…Go ahead."

"No, no, it's not that important. You first."

"I insist. You go ahead."

"It's okay, really. You go first."

Yuuki forced a smile on his face, hiding the fact he was getting annoyed. "Fine, I'll go first. It's about yesterday. The thing is…I'm not really use to interacting with people outside my family. My family knows me very well, so when I say really bad things or get ticked off they don't take it seriously. I've been used to that for years. But…when I saw you there on that first day, I guess I was just too surprised that a girl was inside our house and…I overreacted. I do that a lot, and yesterday was inexcusable. I try not to act like such an idiot, but I'm just no good when it comes to controlling my anger. So…what I guess I'm trying to say is…if I ever make you angry or anything, just hit me, scream at me, do whatever you want. Just…just don't take the things I say to heart…" He faced away from Haruka while gazing at the ground in front of him, his eyes filled with guilt. "I didn't mean to overreact so harshly to you, so…yeah…"

'_I see. Yuuki-san's trying to apologize…'_ Haruka realized. She could tell Yuuki was trying his best to make up for how he treated her. Her smile grew wide. "Thanks for apologizing, Yuuki-san."

Yuuki glanced at the corner of his eye to see Haruka's big smile. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he liked that smile. It made him feel as though he was her friend. At least he could relax now that he got it off his chest. "Alrighty, now that that's done, let's get back home. I'm starving."

"You got it!" The two headed back towards the Soma home, a more comfortable air was forming between them.

Back at the Soma house, Haruka and Yuuki arrived to see Takeshi and Shuu waiting for them at the dinning room table. "Welcome back, Haruka-san. Did you enjoy yourself?" Shuu asked.

"Yes. I had a good time today. I'll get dinner ready right away!" Haruka quickly left for the kitchen while Yuuki sat at the table.

Takeshi had a sneaky grin on his face. "So Yuuki-kun, did you succeed?"

Shuu blinked, mildly confused. "Succeed? In what?"

"None of your business and yes I did." Yuuki answered.

Shuu chose not to retort while Takeshi was overjoyed. "Good job Yuuki-kun! You're on your way to becoming a real man!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Yuuki waved off nonchalantly. Though he seemed passive, he felt satisfied. At least he was on his way to changing the way he used to be into someone better.

"By the way, your sister called and gave the following message: If _I hear you did anything to Haruka-chan while I'm gone, I'm going to kill you_. That was the message." Shuu said all too calmly, drinking some tea.

"Whatever…" Yuuki grumbled. Shuu was always ruining his day.

"Almost forgot, what would you guys like to eat?" Haruka asked, peering from behind the door.

"The same thing as last night would be nice." Shuu suggested.

"Okay." Haruka was about to head back when Shuu called out to her.

"By the way, Haruka-san…" Shuu waited until she was facing him completely. "…Your new clothes look nice."

"Oh, you noticed! Thank you very much!" Haruka thanked before heading back to the kitchen.

"Damn it…!" Yuuki growled, clenching his fist.

"What's wrong Yuuki-kun?" Takeshi asked.

"…I completely forgot to compliment Haruka on her new clothes today!"

Takeshi and Shuu promptly face-faulted.

* * *

And that's the end of the second chapter of the Haruka saga! I hope you enjoyed this installment. Stay tuned for the Kasumi saga next! Please review and give me your thoughts! 


	5. Kasumi saga: Blossoming courage

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon dagnabit! Now quit buggin' me and git readin'! (Correct, I know how to speak broken English)

* * *

It was a welcoming Monday for the Kogane Elementary students. However, the classroom was fairly quiet and somber. Ran sighed. "Man, I really wish Kasumi-chan could stay with us. I can't believe she had to leave again…" They hadn't heard from Kasumi ever since that Friday she missed class to pack up and go with her sisters to who-knows-where.

"It was so sudden. We couldn't even throw a farewell party." Fuu flopped her head on her arms which rested on the desk, feeling depressed.

"Good morning everyone!" Daigo greeted, stepping the classroom. He had a surprisingly wide smile on his face.

"Good morning Sensei…" Everyone greeted not-as-happily.

"Looks like we're all still a little sad about Kasumi-chan's departure. But, I have some good news!" Everyone gave Daigo a curious stare. "I just so happen to come across a student who was eager to come in this class. So tell me, does anyone recognize this young lady?" Daigo stepped to the side, showing a slightly timid Kasumi standing in between a smiling Shigeru and Satoshi.

"…!" Everyone stared speechlessly at Kasumi, who gave a small wave.

"Um…I'm back?" Kasumi sputtered, unsure of what to say.

"KASUMI-CHAN!" Ran and Fuu yelled, jumping out of their chairs. They tackled Kasumi in a hug, yelling several sentence and questions, both of which indicated they were glad she returned.

Daigo couldn't help laugh heartily at the class's response to Kasumi's grand return. Even he felt relieved when he heard the news. "Well, if you all are done showing Kasumi-chan how happy you are to see her, I would like to get started with class today."

"Yes sensei!" The class chimed; the atmosphere livelier.

The teacher stepped up to the blackboard, facing his students. He then began the lesson. "I would like to start by talking about a special event we will be having very soon. From now until Thursday, we will be taking sign-ups for a field trip we will be having this coming Friday. I'm sure most of you heard of the Gardenia Gardens, Kogane City's most famous garden. This field trip shall be an exciting experience for those who would like to gain knowledge about nature and wildlife. Those who are going on the trip will be guided by one of best botanist in the city, who happens to be a good friend of mine: Soma Dan."

"Tch, that nerdy guy? How boring." One of the younger boys whined, his brown eyes glazed over with boredom. The 8 year old boy had long, purple hair stretching down to his chin.

"Hey, don't talk about my dad that way, Tsukuchi-kun! That's mean!" A pink haired, 8 year old girl chided. Her short hair was smoothed back and began sticking out in a pattern towards the bottom of her head.

Tsukuchi proceeded to pay his friend no attention, waving it off. "Don't be serious, Akane-chan. Who would want to go to some girly festival to see some even more girly flowers? I'll pass."

Daigo, used to Tsukuchi's rude nature, was quick to object. "Not true, Tsukuchi-kun. There's nothing "girly" about learning what's around us. If you really want to get into that kind of subject, what color is your hair again?" He pointed out innocently. Tsukuchi immediately quieted down once half the class erupted into a fit of giggles. Daigo clapped his hands to quiet down the classroom. "That's enough with teasing Tsukuchi-kun. Getting back on topic, Dan will be giving the participants a tour of the Gardenia Gardens. The time spent at the Gardenia Gardens will be very important for the event that will be taking place next Friday."

"You mean the Kogane Flower Festival?" Satoshi questioned, raising his hand.

Daigo nodded. "Yes it is, Satoshi-kun. We will be having our Kogane Flower Festival that day. While at the Gardenia Gardens, be sure to take a look at some of the flowers around there and get an idea of what flowers you want and what you want to do with them. Once you have your flowers and idea, they will be put on display for all to see. I shall be expecting great things out of each and every one of you, but most of all, I wish for everyone to enjoy themselves while they are at it."

There was a yawn from the back of the class, revealing a black haired boy with a yellow and black cap. The young 9 year old had very sleepy eyes, almost impossible to see his brown eyes. "Maybe we can even eat some of the berries at Gardenia. I heard it's the best around."

Daigo sweat-dropped. "Kenta-kun, could you at least pretend you're paying attention?"

A blue haired girl, about the same age as Kenta, sighed. "The only time he's awake is if there's food around."

"Food is very good for your health, as well as your brain. Don't you think so, Marina-chan?"

"Yeah, though that apparently has no affect on you."

"Now, now you two, no arguing." Daigo picked up a small chart from his desk and placed it on the wall next to the blackboard. "Here, you will place your names on this list if you wish to go to the Gardenia Gardens. If you don't want to go, then on that day, you will stay here with me."

"I'll take Daigo-sensei for 500, Alex." Tsukuchi joked, earning a couple of chuckles from the classroom.

"Oh no you don't! You're coming with me!" Akane demanded.

"But I don't wanna go! It'll be nothing but girl stuff there."

"Girly stuff or not, as long as I get to eat some berries, I'm fine." Kenta said, resting his head on his desk. "Marina-saaaaan…! Put my name on the list, please."

"Stop being lazy!" Marina scolded.

Kasumi twirled her pen between her fingers, contemplating. _'It doesn't sound like a bad idea. I suppose it would be fun to take a look around.'_

"Hey, Kasumi-chan. Do you want to go to the Gardenia Gardens?" Satoshi inquired.

"I don't mind. I would like to get to know this city a little more anyway. It shouldn't hurt to take a look." Kasumi answered.

"I guess if Kasumi-san's going, I'll come along as well. Nothing else better to do." Shigeru shrugged.

"Ran-kun and I are going to go as well. It's been a long time since we've been to the gardens." Fuu joined.

"Hmph, and why should I go? I don't wanna go to some flower place." Ran complained.

"It's because I say so. Besides, wherever I go, you have to come along."

"_Wherever I go, you have to come along_. Yeah right. Probably just gonna annoy me to death with your ranting." Ran mocked.

"One of these days, Ran-kun…" Fuu growled, her fist itching to strike the smart-mouth. Most of the students who decided to sign up, some more willing than others, did so with the chance given to them. Kasumi stood up and signed her name in, as did Satoshi and Shigeru. Those who put their names on the list received permission slips for their parents to sign. Once school was out, everyone went to their homes quickly to get their parent's permission.

Wednesday arrived quickly, and the students of class 4D-1 went on the bus riding to the Gardenia Gardens. The front of the gardens was wonderfully constructed and decorated with a wide array of different flowers and bouquets stretching across the steel fences. On the front gate as a large wreath, and on top of the wreath were big gold letters that read Gardenia Gardens. In front of the gate stood two people, a 32 year old man with short, muddy brown hair and kind brown eyes. He wore a simple white shirt with a brown tie, slacks and shoes. The girl standing next to him was recognized by her little sister, Akane. "Asuna-chan! I didn't know you were coming along too!"

"Well, dad said he needed help with the tour, so I decided to chip in." Asuna glanced over at Satoshi and Shigeru and smiled brightly. "It's been a long time guys! What's up?"

"Not Satoshi's height or I.Q., that's for sure." Shigeru quipped.

"Hey!" Satoshi growled.

"Hahaha, you two are as feisty as ever." The man laughed. He faced the rest of the students who were waiting patiently. "Anyway, my name is Soma Dan. This is my daughter, Asuna-chan."

"Don't forget me!" Akane called out, stepping next to her father.

"Don't worry, I would never forget my youngest daughter, Akane-chan." Dan ruffled his child's hair affectionately, smiling. "I would personally like to invite you all to Kogane's famous Gardenia Gardens." Once the gates were open, everyone gasped at the sight, even those who didn't want to come previously. As far as the eye could see, there were fields of flower groves of all types, from simple roses to dandelions. There were stands and places for people to get snacks made fresh from berry groves and tree sap, making for a delicious treat. Most paths had a row of trees holding up wreaths and decorative angels set up to give the garden an even more radiant look.

"Amazing…" Satoshi breathed, awed by the sheer magnificence. Shigeru was also impressed, but didn't care to show his opinion.

"Lovely, isn't it? Let's get going with the tour." Dan, Akane and Asuna led the group throughout the garden, showing and explaining several facts and locations.

The class's first destination was the Gardenia berry grove, full of only the best and ripest berries in Kogane City. Dan took the front to lead the class while Akane and Asuna watched the children from the back, making sure they didn't stray away. The students formed lines of two to condense the group size, with Satoshi and Kasumi being in front. Kasumi couldn't help but question some of the things she had noticed. She decided to ask Satoshi about her first observation. "Satoshi-kun, Dan-san's family name is Soma, right? Does that mean…?"

Satoshi nodded. "Yeah, he's also a part of the Soma family, as is Asuna-chan and Akane-chan. They have their own flower shop which is also their home. Sometimes, Dan-san takes me, Shigeru and mom here for family picnics or special events. Since Dan-san is such a good botanist, the people here respect him a lot and even help him with his flower shop in return for him coming here to lend his knowledge on flowers and berries."

"Wow, Dan-san sounds amazing." Kasumi praised, surprised such a simple person was so famous.

"It's only because he's a nerd when it comes to nature. Nothing that spectacular." Shigeru grunted.

"Nothing that special!? Dan-san's incredible, unlike a lazy sloth such as you."

"That's enough, Satoshi-kun. I'm honored that you think so highly of me, but don't argue over me. I'm not **that** spectacular." Dan spoke gently, stopping the growing argument.

"But you are, dad. You do so much for everyone. Don't let that dumb Shigeru speak like that about you." Akane stuck her tongue at Shigeru childishly, earning a glare from the Soma boy.

"Stop it, Akane-chan. That's no way to treat a fellow classmate. I've taught you better than that."

"Yeah, just relax. No matter what he does or is, I always think of him as just our dad. That's about it, really." Asuna said, her arms folded behind her head.

Dan nodded with a smile. "And that's what I plan on sticking to. Family comes first in my book." He turned forward to continue the tour, going back to explaining about the past involving Gardenia. His lecture started off with the first field they were currently trekking in, a berry grove. "Many years ago, when this city was in the middle of being built, the workers had a great shortage of food supplies due to landslides and other natural disasters, cutting them off from going to other towns. Luckily, a very skilled botanist named Gardenia discovered that the place they were building on had vast amounts of vegetation. That in turn allowed them to grow berries and other fruits to live off of, which is why this is called the Gardenia Berry Grove. This grove was created solely to give respect to the fruits of their labor." Dan couldn't help but laugh at his own joke. "Heh, sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Asuna gave a weak laugh, sweat-dropping. _'That…was lame…'_

The only person to laugh happened to be Satoshi. "Ahahaha, that was a good one!"

Everyone sweat-dropped, even Dan. It was hard to tell whether Satoshi was just sucking up or being serious. Dan cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, let's move on." He continued guiding the children through the gardens, Satoshi asking Dan question after question about the place. Kasumi could've almost sworn she saw a hint of great interest from Satoshi. But then, she guessed that it was in just hearing about the stories. After all, some of the stories even caught Tsukuchi and Shigeru's attention.

A few hours later, the class moved to the final grove of the Gardenia Garden. There was a field of rare and gorgeous flowers placed all around, except a small area where a single Sakura tree stood. Since it was long passed Sakura season, the tree hadn't blossomed, veiling its true beauty. "Let's take a break here. There's 30 minutes before we have to head back for the buses, so use that time to relax and enjoy the finest grove in Gardenia, the Miracle Grove."

"Okay, Dan-san!" The students yelled, breaking up into scattered groups.

While playing with Tsukuchi, Satoshi noticed something odd. Dan, Asuna and Akane sat in front of the Sakura tree, having a conversation.

The odd part was the fact they were talking _to_ the Sakura tree.

Curious, they walked up to Dan. "Hey, why are you guys talking to a tree? Looks kinda dumb to me." Tsukuchi asked impolitely.

"It's because this is possibly the most important place in all of Kogane City, at least for us three." Dan answered.

Tsukuchi shrugged. "What's so important about it? It's just a dumb tree. Not that big of a deal."

Asuna and Akane, who normally had high tempers, didn't even bother to chide Tsukuchi for his harsh words. Dan had a soft smile on his face as he closed his eyes. "This is my wife's resting place, along with the founder of this garden and city, Gardenia."

Tsukuchi was stunned with what he heard, as well as Satoshi, and some of the students who heard the reply. "O-oh…"

"Y-your…wife…?" Satoshi asked, saddened by the thought. He knew that Dan's wife wasn't around, but he didn't know that she died, nor did he realize the importance of the Miracle Grove until now. Shigeru, Kasumi, Kenta and Marina, who were listening, felt bad for the kind botanist.

"Do you know why this place is called the Miracle Grove?" Dan asked suddenly. He continued after a period of silence. "It's because this tree alone has helped, bettered, and perhaps even saved, many lives. Those in need of guidance or solace come here to find their answers. Even those with the heaviest of hearts can have a weight lifted off their shoulders just by sitting near this tree. Some people even get married in front of this tree in hopes of having a happy future. This Sakura tree has seen many events and changed many lives."

"So this tree has that kind of power…? Amazing." Shigeru gasped.

"That…is so beautiful…!" Kasumi sniffed, her and Marina shedding tears of joy.

"I…I'm sorry…" Tsukuchi apologized with a sorrowful tone. He spoke so hastily without fully understanding the tree's importance.

"Whenever I come here to see mom, my mind feels so…free. I don't have any worries or problems when I'm here." Asuna sighed blissfully, resting against the tree with her sister.

"You said it. I always love coming here with everyone." Akane closed her eyes, relaxing under the tree's shade.

Kasumi glanced at Satoshi, only to see the most concentrated expression she ever witnessed. It looked as though Satoshi was thinking really hard, yet at the same time, he seemed so determined. Could it have been a sense of inspiration flowing through Satoshi's head? Inspiration of what was what baffled the red headed girl. She turned her head to look at Shigeru, who also noticed. "I wonder…" Shigeru murmured to himself, thinking.

"Dan-san…may I sit with you?" Satoshi asked politely.

"Of course, Satoshi-kun." Dan nodded. Satoshi sat next to Dan, staring at the tree thoughtfully.

So badly Kasumi wanted to ask, but then waved it off. Maybe the story got to him, as it did to Kasumi. The fact Dan visited his dead wife showed how much he really cared about her. It would be nice for there to be someone like that for her. She was sure that woman was very lucky to have Dan as a husband. Her eyes caught Tsukuchi shuffling his feet, looking embarrassed for some reason. "Um…Akane-chan, is it alright for me to sit next to you?"

"Don't be silly. Go ahead." Akane patted the seat next to her, which Tsukuchi took.

'_So Tsukuchi-kun could be a nice guy after all.'_ Kasumi smirked. Tsukuchi was always rude and straightforward with people. It was a rare treat to see him so mellow and shy. She could only imagine the headaches Akane has with Tsukuchi's social skills. Her eyes landed on a cute scene which made her coo internally. The perpetually sleepy Kenta slept while sitting against the tree, his head resting against the sleeping Marina's. It was such a suitable setting and perfect picture of innocents and peace. If Kasumi had a camera with her, she would've taken a picture in a heartbeat.

Needless to say, Kasumi wanted to visit the Miracle Grove again in the future.

Time flew quickly, and it was time to go. After exchanging farewells, the students rode the bus back to Kogane Elementary. Once they made it back, it was time for them to go home.

Along the way home, Kasumi reveled in her experience while at the Gardenia Gardens. "I just can't get over how amazing that place is. It's such a romantic place."

"I don't know about all that, but I'll admit that it was a decent trip." Shigeru walked beside Kasumi with his hands behind his head.

Satoshi was on the other side, also high in spirits. "That Miracle Grove was something else. Did you know most of the flowers placed around that Sakura tree were actually Gardenia flowers? It is said that Gardenia flowers mean secret love."

"Secret love?" Kasumi asked, urging Satoshi to continue.

"Yeah. The legend is that many, many years ago, a man fell for a woman who went by the name of Gardenia, though it's not the same as the one who created the Gardenia Gardens. He would leave flowers on her door, but never had the courage to tell her how he felt. There were many occasions where he would attempt to make an advance, but he was too nervous. One day, he was about to tell her, but chickened out and ran. Gardenia found the flowers and instantly realized that he was the one who had been sending her those flowers. Later that day, the man who had ran found Gardenia standing in front of his door, holding the flower to herself. The woman appreciated the flowers so much that she fell for the man. The man was so excited that he decided to name the flower Gardenia. The two lived happily ever after." Satoshi finished.

"Aww, that's such a romantic story." Kasumi cooed.

Shigeru gave Satoshi an analytical look at the corner of his eye. "That's strange. I hardly expected such a long story out of you. In fact, I'm surprised you know so much. When did you learn about this?"

"I-I just heard a couple of people talking about it earlier, that's all." Satoshi defended.

Shigeru shrugged. "I didn't expect you to listen to that kind of junk." Satoshi grunted at his brother, mumbling indecent words under his breath.

Kasumi didn't want to admit it, but Shigeru had a point. The only thing Satoshi seemed to ever care listening to was video games and 'boy' stuff. For Satoshi to listen and remember that entire story was…slightly farfetched. She could only wonder one thing about the uncanny boy.

What was going on in that boy's mind?

Two days have passed, and it was now Sunday. From the last two days, Kasumi had noticed a strange new behavior pattern from Satoshi. Everyday so far, he would come home covered in dirt and sweat, and he would be outside very often, more so than being home. When asked where he was going, he would always say that he was playing outside. It was strange as to why he always brought his backpack filled with unknown material. Though Kasumi doubt it was anything dangerous, she couldn't help but feel worried. Satoshi was always an outgoing boy, which meant he could be doing something risky for all she knew, and it didn't help that Satoshi always preferred to go out alone.

During the early afternoon, Kasumi heard someone knocking on the door. She answered the door and was surprised with the visitor. "Asuna-san!"

Asuna stepped back in surprise. "You're Kasumi-chan from that class trip!" She soon recovered, realizing what this meant. "Ah, so you're the little girl I've been hearing about. Geez, looks like there's more and more people learning about our little secret. Seriously, I think we're losing our touch."

Kasumi stepped aside to let Asuna step in. "You mean I'm not the only one who knows?"

"Sadly, no. As a matter of fact, three other people now know of our secret. The one with Haruka was a shock, but I think everyone was most surprised with Hiroshi's new roommates. But that's a story for another day. Is Satoshi-kun here?"

"No, he isn't. He went out about an hour ago."

"Ah, he must be at that other place then. Thanks for the help. I'll see you later—"

"Wait!" Kasumi called after. Asuna stopped and turned around, giving Kasumi her attention. "Um…I don't know what Satoshi-kun is doing, but it's making me a little worried. Is he alright? Does he need help with anything?"

Asuna hesitated to answer the question, but Kasumi's pleading eyes were winning her over. "Well, I promised I would tell, so I won't."

"Oh…" Kasumi sighed, downtrodden.

"…But he didn't say anything about not _showing_ you. How about it?" Asuna winked, grinning ear to ear.

"That sounds great! Thank you very much!" Kasumi followed Asuna, eager to see what Satoshi had been up to for the last two days.

Asuna led Kasumi through the backyard forest, going along what normally would have been an unnoticeable path. The two traveled through the forest for little over 10 minutes until they reached a small and secluded clearing. It was there, Kasumi was met with a great surprise. There, in the middle of a sizable garden patch, Satoshi was tending to the small plants and flowers that had been planted. There were books and gardening items scattered all around him. Right then, Kasumi made a startling discovery which finished the missing piece of the puzzle.

Satoshi liked gardening and flowers.

"Interesting, don't you think?" Asuna whispered, hiding herself and Kasumi behind the bushes. Kasumi could only nod, awestruck by her unexpected finding. "You see, Satoshi-kun had a history of being teased a lot on whether he liked one thing or did another thing. He's a good kid, but has grown afraid of what people think. He makes friends and stuff, but doesn't really let himself be open, and the fact he's one of the cursed family members only makes things worse. Basically, he clams up when it comes to his loves. He doesn't let himself show the world what he's made of, but just goes with the flow."

Once Kasumi thought about it, it really made sense. If Satoshi ran up to someone like Tsukuchi and said he liked gardening and flowers, he would probably laugh at him. It's truly terrible that he can't show off what he knows and likes. However, Asuna wasn't done. "What really gets to Satoshi-kun isn't what other people know, but what his brother knows. Though he always fights with his brother, Shigeru-kun sticks up for Satoshi-kun when other people tease him. Shigeru sometimes messes with him, but what Satoshi-kun fears the most is that his brother would turn against him if he learned that Satoshi-kun liked gardening. You can imagine how much that would crush Satoshi-kun's confidence if his own brother laughed at him?"

"Yeah…"

"But that's where you come in! Here." Asuna passed Kasumi a small bag, filled with seeds. "Go ahead and give this to Satoshi for me. Tell him I'm doing him a favor." Without warning, she pushed Kasumi forward, causing her to stumble forward and into the opening.

Hearing the noise, Satoshi immediately thought it was Asuna. "Hey Asuna-chan, did you bring…the…seeds…?" Satoshi slowed his sentence to a stop as his eyes widened in horror, seeing that it was Kasumi that stepped into the opening and not Asuna, who was peaking from the bushes. "K-K-Kasumi-chan! What are you…when did…?" Satoshi was at a lost for words, babbling incoherencies.

Kasumi, had Asuna not told her earlier, wouldn't have been able to understand why Satoshi was panicking so much. Satoshi should've realized that she would find nothing wrong with what he was doing. "Satoshi-kun, did you do all of this by yourself?"

Satoshi recovered from his panic attack, but still looked nervous. "Oh…um, this? I didn't do this. I'm just taking care of this stuff for Asuna-chan, that's all! Really!"

With a sigh, Kasumi held her head gingerly. _'Boys these days. They worry about the silliest of things.'_ She thought dryly. "Satoshi-kun, you're a very bad liar, not to mention very silly."

"Lying? I'm not—"

"For heaven's sake Satoshi-kun, you're worrying over nothing. There's nothing wrong with liking flowers and stuff. I like flowers too."

"Yeah, but you're a—"

"—Girl, yes Satoshi-kun, I found that out very long ago. I also happen to like video games and sports. Are you saying it's wrong to like that stuff just because I'm a girl?"

Satoshi waved his hands defensively, not wanting Kasumi to get the wrong idea. "No, of course not! There's nothing wrong with you liking games and stuff."

"Uh huh." Kasumi tossed Satoshi a sly glance. "So what's wrong with you liking flowers, hm?"

"Uh…well…it's because I'm a boy. Boys don't like flowers or gir—fancy stuff." Satoshi corrected quickly, not wanting to upset Kasumi.

Kasumi walked over to the flowers, kneeling over them. There were some flowers that were starting to bloom while others were just starting to grow. There were sunflowers, daisies, lilies, dandelions, and violets planted. On the other half of the garden patch were certain plants that grew berries, such as Pecha and Oran berries. She could tell that Satoshi needed help on keeping organized and tidy. "These flowers are gorgeous. I can tell you took good care of them."

"You…really think so?" Satoshi asked, surprised.

"Of course, who wouldn't? Oh, I would love to see some Azaleas planted here."

"Azaleas?"

"It's my favorite flower. I just love the look and smell of Azaleas."

"Is that so…?" The ravened haired Soma looked over his growing garden. There was enough space for Azaleas. "Okay, then I'll be sure to plant some for you!"

"Really? Thanks!" Kasumi beamed. Satoshi blushed, finding Kasumi's happy smile to be extremely cute. He was surprised with such a reaction.

"Um…Kasumi-chan, can I ask you a favor?" Satoshi asked, slightly timid with his request.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Could you…not tell anyone about…you know…this?"

"Why?"

Satoshi grew somber, facing the plants. "It's…well…if someone at my school finds out, they will just laugh at me for it. And then Shigeru will hear about it. Shigeru always sticks up for me. I've noticed it a few times, though he tries to hide it. But…if he finds out…he'll make fun of me like the others. I'm sure of it. I wish I had Shigeru's courage. He doesn't care what people think about him. The fact he's cursed like me doesn't even seem to bother him. Meanwhile, I'm just a scared little kid who can't even be honest with people."

"Oh Satoshi-kun…" Kasumi leaned to pull Satoshi over.

_POOF!_

"K-Kasumi-chan!" Satoshi gasped, blushing hard. He was being cradled by Kasumi like a Pikachu plush doll.

Kasumi sat with her legs crossed, holding onto Satoshi. "Listen. You shouldn't have to worry about what other people think. People can be very cruel sometimes. There will always be someone who dislikes you or something you do for many reasons. But also, there are people out there just like you, who like to do things but are too afraid to express it to other people. Don't worry about who likes or doesn't like what you do. If flowers, gardening, or whatever you do is something you love, then it shouldn't matter what people think. I'm sure your brother feels the same way."

"Do you really think so?" Satoshi asked, looking up at Kasumi.

"Shigeru-san isn't some dumb kid. I believe he wouldn't put you down. Now, while I promise to not tell anyone, you have to promise that you will no longer hide and express what you love. Don't care about what people think, just do it because you want to."

"…I'll try. Thank you Kasumi-chan." Satoshi nodded, in better spirits.

"Alright, sounds good. Now, how about I help you out with your garden?"

"That would be awesome! Thanks again…for everything!"

Kasumi flashed a smile, giving him a thumbs up. "Let's hop to it! These flowers won't fix themselves!"

"Okay!" With that, Kasumi started helping Satoshi plant the seeds and maintain the plants.

Asuna found the whole exchange interesting. From the way Kasumi talked, it almost seemed as though she was speaking from experience. She smiled to herself. Maybe it was the best thing for Satoshi and Shigeru for Kasumi to have found out there secret.

"Ah, how nice it is to be young again." Dan sighed happily.

"Ack! Dad! What are you doing here?" Asuna jumped, whispering sharply.

"I just happen to come by and see what was going on." Dan looked ahead, seeing Satoshi and Kasumi working together. "Looks like Satoshi-kun's finally starting to open up a little. All thanks to little Kasumi-chan."

"Heh, she reminds me of Haruka-chan a bit. So considerate of others."

"I hope for everyone's sake that things stay that way." Dan looked down at his watch. "Looks like I should be heading back to the shop. I'll bet Hazuki-kun is having a tough time watching the store."

Asuna nearly fell over, shocked by her father's words. "Dad! You can't just make Hazuki-kun watch the store!"

Dan chuckled as he started to walk back. "There's nothing wrong with that. After all, he's got to know how to run the family store if he's going to get married into it."

The red color in Asuna's cheeks couldn't have been any darker. "DAD…!" She whined, fussing at her father while the man laughed and continued to joke at his daughter's expense.

As the days passed, Shigeru grew increasingly suspicious. For almost the entire week, Kasumi had been spending time with his brother, doing who knows what. When he asked his mother, Hanako merely laughed, saying they were just spending time together. Then, when he asked Kasumi and Satoshi, they both responded they were just playing outside. In a way, he couldn't help but feel a little left out, as though he was the only one kept in the dark. He also felt slightly jealous with Satoshi. Kasumi used to spend time with him and Satoshi equally. But now, it seemed like he was thrown out of the circle without even realizing it.

In a way, it hurt to be not part of the loop.

It was Thursday, the day before the big Flower Festival. Everyone was at the dinner table, eating Hanako's delicious meal. His eyes watched Kasumi and Satoshi closely. The two were talking about the festival tomorrow, how there will be many kinds of berries and events to go to. His mother would throw in a few comments, mainly how nice it would be to see some of the events. It was getting harder and harder to not feel so left out, his jealousy growing into the boiling point.

"…Shigeru? Honey, are you there?" Hanako asked.

"Huh, what?" Shigeru turned to his mother, not realizing she had been trying to call him.

"Is something the matter? You didn't respond the last 3 times I called you."

'_Was it really that many I missed?'_ Shigeru asked himself, "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."

"You've barely touched your food. Are you feeling sick?"

"No, I'm fine." Shigeru's focused return to Satoshi and Kasumi, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"…And maybe we'll take a look at some of the 6th grader's activities. They will probably have something interesting." Kasumi suggested.

"I don't know. The 5th graders have really cool stuff too. Maybe class 5D-3 will have something good this year."

"I can't wait for tomorrow. It's going to be so exciting."

There was a disapproving snort from Shigeru, which grabbed Satoshi and Kasumi's attention. "What's so exciting about some dumb festival?" Shigeru pouted, looking very disinterested.

"It's not just some dumb festival. There will be tons of fun stuff tomorrow!" Kasumi debated.

"Hmph. Who cares? It's nothing but people putting up a bunch of flowers and berries on display. It's nothing special."

"It will be a cool festival! I guess a grouch like you don't like cool festivals." Satoshi shot.

Ouch. "It's better to be a grouch then to be a girly boy who likes pretty and pink." Shigeru snapped.

There was a stunned silence as those words hit Satoshi like a ton of bricks. Satoshi's face was directed downward, covered with shadow. "…I'm finished eating. I'll be going to my room." Shot down, Satoshi stood up and walked towards his room. Shigeru grunted as he also stood up, walking away.

Kasumi looked back and forth between the two, confused on what just transpired. "What…was that about?"

Hanako sighed. "I feared this would happen."

"What do you mean?"

"Kasumi-chan, when was the last time you did anything with Shigeru?"

"Well, we walked home together earlier today."

"And did you talk to him? Interacted in any way?"

Kasumi took a minute to think about it. "Well, I did say hi to him in the morning. Hmm…I suppose I didn't say much to him today."

"And the day before?"

"Uh…about the same."

"And the day before that?"

"Well…" Kasumi scratched her cheek, thinking back on the last couple of days. "I guess…I haven't really spoken to him much."

"Put yourself in Shigeru's position. Ever since Sunday, you've been spending more and more time with Satoshi, and less with Shigeru. Before, you would talk with Shigeru as much as you would with Satoshi. But now, you suddenly spend so much time with Satoshi, but completely left Shigeru out. How would you feel if you were Shigeru?"

Kasumi's glance fell, ashamed of the realization. Sure, she had been having a good time helping Satoshi with the gardening, and gotten to know him better. But in the process, she neglected Shigeru, totally forgetting about how he might've felt. "I…I should've realized that. I'm such a bad person to do such a thing to poor Shigeru-san…"

Hanako placed a comforting hand on Kasumi's trembling ones. "Talk to him. Let him know that you're still his friend. If anything, it will at least ease the tension. I'll speak with Satoshi."

"Okay." Without wasting a second, Kasumi rushed towards Shigeru's room, whereas Hanako left to speak with Satoshi.

Kasumi carefully crept up the stairs, walking towards Shigeru's bedroom. She was half wondering if she should just leave Shigeru alone to cool off, but Hanako was probably right. It's better to resolve the issue before things got out of hand. Once she made it to the door, she knocked lightly on the wooden door. "Um…S-Shigeru-san? Is it okay for me to come in?" She heard a nonchalant grunt from inside, signaling her in. Opening the door, she found Shigeru sitting by the window, staring out into the setting sun. After sitting down on Shigeru's neatly made bed, Kasumi began thinking up something to say. It's not easy to make up for neglecting someone, and it always had a way of biting back on the guilty party. "Shigeru-san, I…wanted to apologize about this past week. I was spending so much time with Satoshi-san that I didn't give you the time you deserve. If I could make up for it, I really would, honest! But…you probably hate me now, huh?" Kasumi stared at her folded hands resting on her knees, feeling guilty.

"…You don't have to force yourself to apologize just because my mom said so. If you feel better being with Satoshi than with me, go ahead."

"No, that isn't the case at all! I wasn't trying to ignore or anything. It's just...I was just trying to get to know Satoshi-kun better. I've only been with you all for a short time, but I'm learning so many things. It wasn't intentional, but I just got a little caught up. I'm truly sorry Shigeru-san."

Shigeru spent a moment to think about what Kasumi said. "Its okay, Kasumi-san. Thanks for apologizing."

"I really do want to stay friends with you. That won't change, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die!"

That last comment brought a smirk to Shigeru's face. "You don't have to go that far now. Just promising is good enough for me."

"Okay." Kasumi stretched, rubbing her tired eyes. "I think I'll go to my room now. Got stuff to do before the festival tomorrow. Good night, Shigeru-san."

"Wait." Shigeru called out. "About Satoshi, does he like flowers and stuff like that?"

"…I can't tell you. But, if you come to the festival with us tomorrow, you'll see for yourself." Were Kasumi's final words as she left Shigeru's room, heading to her own. One thing was certain, it gave Shigeru a lot of food for thought.

Outside the room, Kasumi was almost passed Satoshi's room when Hanako stepped out, closing the door behind her. She released a sigh, one out of relief. The woman tossed Kasumi a relieved glance. "Did everything work out alright?"

"Yes. How's Satoshi-kun?"

"He calmed down a bit. Things should cool down by morning tomorrow. Why don't you go ahead and get some rest?"

Kasumi gave Hanako a worried look. "Are you sure about that? I can help you with the left over dishes."

Hanako ruffled Kasumi's hair, smiling warmly. "It's alright. Besides, you look a tired. Go ahead and get some rest for tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight, Hanako-san." Kasumi entered her room, soon falling asleep.

'_That Kasumi-chan…she tries so hard…almost too hard…'_ Hanako thought, being torn between feeling happy or sad about the issue.

The next day arrived swiftly, and it was finally time for the Kogane Flower Festival. It was a free day, and since parents were invited, Hanako had come along with Kasumi and the two brothers. Many classes had decorated the halls and doors with pellets, pictures, ornaments, and even costumes. The parents who came felt welcomed to the experience of the Flower Festival. The school had several floors; the higher floors holding a stronger concentration for those of a higher grade. The quality of decorations increased as Hanako traveled from the first floor to the fourth, amazed with the effort put into the event.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, everyone saw Daigo walking the floors, witnessing the fruits of everyone's labor. The blue haired teacher was pleasantly surprised to see Hanako. "It's been a long time, Hanako-san."

"Yes, it has been awhile. How are things going with you?" Hanako asked.

"Busy. I'm keeping an eye out to make sure things run smoothly. Be sure to take a good look and stick around for a bit."

"Stick around? You mean there's something else that will happen?" Kasumi questioned.

"You'll see, Kasumi-chan. I'm sure a good number of you will be very surprised."

Everyone turned to hear a sudden gasp escape from Hanako's breath as the woman stared at what was probably the most amazing decoration she had ever seen. Hanging on top of the class door was a wreath, completely made up of a gardenia pellets, and interestingly enough, a mix of azalea flowers. On the bottom was a white ribbon bow, and sitting inside the wreath, was a toy angel strung to the wreath glued seated above the bow so it wouldn't fall off. It was breathtaking that something like that was made by a fourth grader. "Daigo-san, may I ask who made that?"

Daigo grinned knowingly. "I can't say just yet, although, it happens to be one of our more _gifted_ students in my class."

"It really is amazing talent, isn't it Satoshi-kun?" Kasumi secretly winked at Satoshi, who flushed from embarrassment.

Satoshi rubbed the back of his head, suddenly feeling shy. "Uh…y-yeah, definitely talented." Shigeru narrowed his eyes slightly as he stole a glance at Satoshi. He wondered what it was his brother looked so shy about.

Shigeru's time for pondering was cut short by the sound of intercom being activated. **"Attention parents and students of Kogane Elementary. Will everyone please enter the auditorium for a special announcement. Repeat, will everyone please enter the auditorium for a special announcement."**

"Time already? This will be fun." Daigo said to himself. "Please, if you would. I'd like to escort you three for a special treat." He gestured the three to follow him to the first floor, where the auditorium was being held.

The place was filled with parents and students alike. It was dome shaped, designed in opera theater-style. Long curtains were draped over the tall windows, and extra seats were placed along the top sides of the walls for those who liked a high-up view. Seats were placed in three sections of the auditorium, Hanako, Daigo and the rest taking seats towards the middle of the large room. There was hustle and bustle as everyone attempted to find their seats and started up conversations between themselves.

The audience quieted down once the ringing sound of a microphone resounded throughout the room, catching the crowd's attention. In front of a closed curtain was, to some student's surprise, Dan from the Gardenia Garden. 'What's Dan-san doing here? Is this part of the special announcement?' Satoshi wondered.

Dan cleared his throat before speaking. "This festival has a lot of meaning for botanist everywhere. Flowers, plants, wildlife, this event is to remind us of how beautiful this land is, as well as impart knowledge of what's around us. It makes me proud to see students working as hard as they do to preserve our humble landscape and give back to the earth what it has for us. However, there are some students here today, who have produced something noteworthy. I can't express my sheer gratitude of the hard work and thought put into these displays, which is why I am here." The curtain behind Dan opened suddenly, revealing an elaborately decorated stand, fit for three people. One step lead to a higher one, each step numbered from 3 to 1. There was an arch decorated with different flowers placed over it to give the area more radiance. "At this moment, I will begin calling out the names of who will be Kogane Elementary's three most gifted students of this year's festival. These students will receive an award for most outstanding display of affection for nature and wildlife, as well as knowledge and thoughtfulness.

There were a series of gasp and squeals that filled the room, but only one person was scared stiff, his eye widening with fear. _'They never said anything about an award being given out!'_ One person thought, fearing the worst case scenario.

Satoshi never felt so nervous about winning in his life.

"Third place, for creating these lovely necklaces made of roses and freesias for all of her classmates, please give a hand to Soma Akane-chan!" Dan, along with an enthusiastic crowd, applauded the ecstatic young girl, who ran up to the stage and gave her father a tight hug before stepping up to the third place column. The botanist presented his daughter with a yellow ribbon, which she happily took. He expected nothing less from his daughter. "Next, we have a student who was thoughtful enough to bring a plethora of different berries for her class, and plenty more to share with other classes. Please give a warm hand for Kotone Mirei-san." Everyone clapped for a relatively shy girl, who didn't expect to win an award. The 3rd grader had short red hair, similar to Kasumi's shade, and timid blue eyes. After gingerly shaking his hand, Mirei stepped up to the second place column, holding her red ribbon. Flipping through his list, Dan smiled brightly at the name of the blue ribbon, first place winner. "Our winner has developed what's probably the most unique and meaningful display I have seen in a very long time."

'_Don't let it be me…don't let it be me…!'_ Satoshi prayed, don't feeling ready to show the world what he could do.

To Satoshi's horror, Dan revealed the piece of work that was the wreath from class 4D-1. "Here with have a wreath that was carefully put together with great precision and thought. As some can tell, this wreath is made of Azalea and Gardenia. Gardenia is a very important flower at the Gardenia Gardens, as it shows the understanding of its importance. The angel, as you may've guessed, is the symbolism of one of the world's best botanist, Gardenia. It you would, please give a hand for this student for the most original display, please welcome the first place winner of the Kogane Elementary's Flower Festival…Soma Satoshi-kun!"

There were surprised stares as everyone turned to look at the said winner, who was currently paralyzed by fear and shock. Normally, he would've been excited to win, but he feared what people would've thought of him. It was surprisingly quiet as people waited for the boy to stand up and take a stand. He tossed Kasumi a guilty look. _'I dunno if I can do this. If even Shigeru made fun me, who's to say no one else would?' _His brooding was interrupted by the sound of clapping.

It was a lonely one at that, but for Satoshi, it was the most meaningful one.

"Don't just sit there, Satoshi. That blue ribbon isn't going to claim itself." Shigeru instructed, standing and applauding his brother.

Kasumi and Hanako were the next to stand and applaud, followed by Daigo. Within moments, the entire auditorium was filled with applauds and cheers for Satoshi, who was starting to realize how silly his fears have been. With pride, Satoshi started down the aisle and made his way to claim his blue ribbon.

"Congratulations, Satoshi-kun." Dan shook Satoshi's hand, who rubbed his neck modestly.

"Well, I had some help from a good friend, but the wreath came out pretty well."

Dan leaned in to whisper. "Not for the prize, but for yourself."

Satoshi nodded with understanding and took his position in first place, standing tall and proud. His sights were set on Kasumi, who was cheering as loud as the twins and, surprisingly, Shigeru. _'Thanks you guys…'_

Later that day, Hanako and the three children arrived at the Soma house in high spirits, congratulating Satoshi in his efforts. Though Shigeru threw in a few 'comments' to get on Satoshi's nerves, it was merely in good nature. Hanako had left to retire for the evening while Shigeru left elsewhere. Kasumi was about go to her room when Satoshi called out to her. "Umm…Kasumi-chan? Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, what is it?" Kasumi asked, giving the boy her full attention.

"I wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for you. And…it made me realize how lucky we are that you're staying with us. So…here!" Bashfully, Satoshi handed Kasumi a bouquet of flowers, placed in a plastic wrapper. It was full of Azalea flowers. "I managed to save some of the flowers from the garden you helped me with. It's the least I could do to show my appreciation."

"Aww…that's so sweet. Thank you, Satoshi-kun." Happily, she whisked the flowers from his hands and delivered her own present.

It was a peck on the cheek.

"Good night!" Kasumi left to go to her room, leaving a frozen-in-shock Satoshi standing, his cheeks flaring with redness.

A minute later, Shigeru walked by Satoshi, giving him strange looks. "What's with you?" Not receiving an answer, he shrugged and continued walking. "Hmph, weirdo."

* * *

Wow, this was amazingly overdue (thanks to a writer's block, ugh!), but thankfully, I managed to pull through once I got into the story enough. In a way, I'm proud of this chapter, Not just because I pulled through with low inspiration, but I feel a lot of people can relate to this. Hopefully, this gives everyone more confidences to strut their stuff to everyone (keep it PG please!). Be sure to leave a review and lemme know what you think of this. Thanks for reading! 


	6. Musashi saga: The treatment

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. If I did, can you say "fanservice"?

* * *

It was a bright morning in Kogane City. In this part of the city, where a certain man lived, it was particularly peaceful. The only people to live nearby were mainly elderly people and a few families, so there was no need to worry about too much hustle and bustle. It was a quiet, rich neighborhood. To most young people, it would be deemed boring and routine. To Soma Hiroshi, however, it was paradise.

The said man sighed blissfully, his body enveloped by a thick, ruby comforter. He had just awoken and was enjoying the fresh feeling of his routine morning. Whether it was the lovely sound of birds chirping, or the soft billowing breeze blowing through his second floor balcony window, he never grew tired of it. 'Ah, this is the life.' He thought happily. Knowing he would have to get up soon, he opened his eyes and turned to see his digital time clock, only to have his blissful expression changed to one of horrific terror.

Why was there a girl on his bed?

"Mmm…Mu-chan, you feel so different down there. Are you hiding your wallet again…?" Furura spoke in her sleep. Her hand happened to have roamed quite a ways down south, reaching for something that served to maximize Hiroshi's shock.

Once again, Hiroshi's_tail_ was taken hostage.

"GYAAAAAH!" Letting out a sharp yell, Hiroshi performed super-human feats of agility as he leapt from his bed to his ceiling, holding onto his ceiling chandelier for dear life. His entire body had turned bright red, his mouth hanging agape.

"Huh…wha?" Furura sat up in the bed, staring at Hiroshi with tired, yet confused eyes. "Hiroshi-kun, what are you doing in Mu-chan's bed?"

"T-THIS IS MY BED!" Hiroshi yelled, still feeling jumpy.

The brown door to the bedroom opened, revealing a sleepy Musashi. "Hey guys…what's with the fus-What the!?" The red headed woman blinked, surprised with the scene before her. It took a minute for her to realize what most likely transpired. "Oh…whoops! I guess Fu-chan started walking in her sleep again." Looking up at Hiroshi, she couldn't help but be amazed at the man's agility. "You're quite the Aipom, huh? Nice boxers by the way." She snickered, gesturing the fact Hiroshi was only in a pair of boxers with heart patterns on them.

Hiroshi's face flared with even more redness, but not just because he was caught sleeping in his underwear. "For heaven's sake…PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" It was frightening enough to have a woman on his bed, but for both of them to be only in their underwear nearly made him faint.

"Oh yeah, that might be a good idea, wouldn't it? Come on Fu-chan, it's time to get dress."

"Okay!" Furura hopped out of the bed, following Musashi to their bedroom.

"This is going to be a long day…" Hiroshi sighed, dropping from the chandelier. Barely a second later, Musashi knocked on the door.

"Hey, you got a phone call." Musashi spoke from the other side.

"Really? That's weird. I didn't even hear a ring." Hiroshi cracked the door open slightly, big enough for the girl's hand to fit through. After grabbing the phone, he put it on his ear. "Hello, this is Soma Hiroshi. How may I—"

"Oh Hiroshi-kun! I wanna—so badly! I'm gonna—and then—and I want you to—and—give it to me good! Oh, Hiroshi-kun! Yes, yes, OH YES!"

_BEEP!_

Hiroshi's body one again turned the deepest shade of red possible, a dangerous fusion of anger and embarrassment. The dirtiest of the dirty words were forever burned into his brain. His finger rested on the off button as he took a deep breath. "…MUSASHI-SAAAAAN!" He yelled loudly, his voice ripping through the large house. Though he couldn't hear it, he was positive she was laughing boisterously at his expense.

Sometime later, Hiroshi and his two roommates met at the dining room. The house itself was very big and lavishly designed, stunning Musashi and Furura at first sight. The house was built straight from the finest wood, 4 rooms placed on the second floor and a basement housing two extra rooms, there was no shortage of places for people to sleep. The house itself as almost as big as Hanako's Inn, but didn't have nearly as many luxuries like a game room or outdoor hot springs. Nonetheless, it still had more than enough necessities and conveniences to make just about anyone comfortable. The dining room was a good example of how finely constructed the house was. There was a long table set up in the middle of the dining, enough to seat at least 10 people, four on each side and one on opposite ends.

Musashi and Furura sat on one side of the table while Hiroshi sat on the opposite side, his eyebrows furrowing vibrantly. "That was a mean trick you two played on me." Hiroshi growled irritably.

"It's not a trick, but more like a test." Musashi answered calmly, drinking a cup of orange juice. _'Sort of.'_ She added mentally.

"A test?"

Musashi pointed her fork at the boy, making Hiroshi shrink back in response. "That's right. You didn't already forget our deal, did you? In return for giving us a home, we will help you with your phobia. Given the pitch of your scream, you have a very long way to go."

"Couldn't it have been just a little more…subtle?"

"I certainly couldn't just ask something like that of you. You'll be getting many tests in the future, so start preparing yourself."

"Oh man…" Hiroshi held his head gingerly, getting a headache. If the test were anything like earlier, he would die of a heart attack long before he was cured.

"Hiroshi-kun, why do you live in such a big house by yourself? Don't you have family that shares this house with you?" Furura asked.

"Well, sort of. My brother used to live with me about a year ago, but he moved out to pursue his dreams. My parents moved out to travel the world, which was something they always wanted to do. That just leaves me to watch the house."

"Hm, interesting. Our situations are kinda similar." Musashi said thoughtfully.

"Really? How so?"

"We ran away from home."

Hiroshi tossed Musashi a blank stare. "There's nothing similar about that!"

"A minor detail." Musashi shrugged.

"Why did you run away from home?"

"Oh just this and that. Nothing big." Musashi waved off.

'_I seriously doubt that. They probably don't want to talk about it.'_ Hiroshi thought. Chances were they had a rough past. He was always one who cherished having a family. His parents and brother, although annoying, always loved him dearly. It was tough to imagine that could've happened that would separate a family.

Musashi stood up from her chair, straightening out her clothes. "We should start getting ready for class today. It's back to group dynamics for us. Good thing we're on the same group."

"I guess that's another way of putting it." Hiroshi rubbed his neck, already regretting to enlist the aid of the girls.

Sometime later, the trio arrived in their group dynamics class. To their surprise, there was already someone in their group's seat, namely Natsume. She sat back in her seat with one leg over another, reading a book. Looking at her, Musashi thought of an idea, seeing opportunity. "Hey, Hiroshi-kun, I got your first assignment. I want you to go and talk to that girl. You know, get to know her and stuff."

"W-what!? But I'm not ready for that!" Hiroshi spoke in a whisper, already feeling uneasy about being in a girl's presence.

"Don't sweat it. If things go awry, we'll save you." She reassured.

"We are?" Furura asked, earning a sharp nudge on her side, courtesy of Musashi's elbow. "I-I mean, of course we will! Hehe!"

Hiroshi opted to make a comment, but Musashi started pushing him towards Natsume. "Now, now, hurry up and talk to her. And while you're at it, get her number!"

Hiroshi flustered at the implication. "W-what are you—oof!" He stumbled forward after receiving a shove, catching himself by holding onto a chair. Unfortunately for him, it happened to be the chair right next to Natsume, who was paying him no attention. His throat suddenly felt dry, making him swallow nervously. "Um…hi there. I-is it okay if I sit here?" When Natsume shrugged, showing she couldn't care less, Hiroshi sat down and folded his hands neatly on the table. He was unprepared to come up with anything interesting to talk about. Awkwardness was no way to start off a conversation, not that Natsume seemed to care. Shifting his gaze, he noticed the book she was reading, titled 'Whisper from the darkness'. _'Sounds like a scary book.'_ Hiroshi thought to himself.

"It isn't scary." Natsume spoke in a low tone.

Hiroshi nearly jumped at the correction. He most certainly wasn't expecting her to read his thoughts. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to think like that."

"I didn't need to read your mind. It's all over your face."

"Oh, right. Guess I'm an easy read, huh? Ahahaha…haha…hah…" His laughter, along with his poorly made pun, died a terrible death as no one else laughed at it. Natsume's expression clearly showed she didn't find it amusing. "So…what's the book about?"

"It's a romance novel." Natsume answered without looking from her book.

'_THAT'S a romance novel!?'_ Hiroshi sweat-dropped. Peeking at the front cover, he recognized the author of the book. "Hey, I know that guy. Keen Rootz. I read his books all the time!"

Natsume's eyes glanced over at Hiroshi, giving the man a calm stare. Though well hidden, she was intrigued. "You read his stories?"

"Yeah! He's an amazing writer!" Hiroshi praised excitedly, temporarily losing his anxiety, "The last book I read was…I think it was called 'Invite from the deep'. The story was intense! I couldn't drop the book for a moment!"

The tiniest of smiles appeared on Natsume's face. "It was the same for me." Hiroshi blinked as he looked at Natsume's face. The nearly invisible smile disappeared as the goth's serious stare returned. "What?" She shot flatly, expecting a negative answer.

"Oh, sorry. I-I-I didn't mean to stare like that. It's just…just that…well…" Hiroshi started rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "You had…a really…p-pretty smile…"

Though undetectable to many eyes, Natsume showed a small look of surprise, her eyes widening a bit. Her gaze returned to the book, the faintest tint of pink on her cheeks. "Hmph, nonsense." She brushed off.

From a distance, Musashi was smiling widely. "Look at that guy! He's a natural! Looks like we might just be able to help him after all." It was true. From the way it looked, it was almost unnoticeable that Hiroshi ever had a fear of women, though his fidgeting was still there.

"That's good news. I hope Hiroshi-kun gets over his fear." Furura said.

Back with Hiroshi, he was feeling strangely comfortable talking to Natsume, though the fact he was so close to her still made him very nervous. "Actually, I think I have one of his latest books with me. Lemme check my backpack." Hiroshi started looking through his backpack for the said item. However, upon his search, his hand felt something else. He lifted up to see what it was. Once it was halfway out, his face began to burn with redness. _'What the heck is THAT doing there!? That wasn't in there before!' _He thought, thrown into panic mode.

"Hey dudes and dudettes! What's happenin'?" The blue haired man, Touki, greeted cheerily, resting his hand on Hiroshi's shoulder. The action made Hiroshi jump, shoving the unknown material in his backpack inside.

"Ah, T-T-Touki-san! W-what a pleasant surprise!" Hiroshi replied hastily, unable to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Hm?" Touki tossed an odd look at Hiroshi, raising an eyebrow, "What's with you, dude? You look like you just saw a ghost."

'_That…is an interesting way to put it…'_ Hiroshi thought. "Uh, no. It's not that. I was just…surprised with the sudden visit, that's all!"

"Loosen up already, man! You're a big boy. Don't let little'o me scare ya." Touki patted Hiroshi hard on the back, making the boy cough. The blue haired man took a seat across the table, which thankfully gave Hiroshi a break.

'_Man, that was close!'_ Hiroshi sighed. But still, he had no idea how THAT got inside. It never was there before. Something told him the girls might've had a hand in the manner, given the nature of the material. Looking at Natsume, he could feel her impatience growing. "Oh right, sorry! I'll get the book right away!" Searching around his backpack further, he finally discovered the book he was searching full and pulled it out. It was a small red, hard cover book. The title was a platinum color. "Here we go! This is it!"

"Interesting," Natsume said, examining the book in Hiroshi's hands, "I never thought there was someone else who enjoyed Keen Rootz's fictions."

"That makes both of us." Hiroshi laughed. Putting his previous incident behind him, he was back to enjoying his chat with Natsume. Finally, things seemed to be going right for once.

"Hehehe! Hiroshi you sly dog!" Takeshi sang, squatting next to Hiroshi.

Hiroshi sighed, figuring he wasn't going to get a break with his cousin around. "Takeshi-san, I would appreciate it if you didn't jump to conclu-ah…!" Hiroshi made a sharp gasp, the color draining from his face.

Takeshi flashed the 'evil' material at him, but making sure to keep it hidden so it didn't reach unwanted eyes. "I knew you would come out of your shell sometime soon. Who would've thought you would come out so strongly! I mean, bringing a dirty magazine to school? Classic, man." He whispered, low enough so Hiroshi was the only one to hear it.

Hiroshi found himself fumbling over his words for a moment, frazzled with the whole situation going out of control. The last thing he wanted was for his own cousin to think HE was a pervert. "That's not mine, I swear! Now put that back! I'll explain everything later!" He hissed angrily.

"Ok, ok. I was just trying to get your textbook since I forgot mine. I didn't expect to run into such a gem. Very nice issue."

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" None other than Uchikido stood behind Takeshi, swiftly swiping the dirty magazine from Takeshi's hands, causing Hiroshi to pale even further. The entire class was able to witness the item in the professor's hands, a mix of disgust and surprise sweeping the room. "Now, now, Hiroshi-san. You should know better than to bring this kind of stuff to class! If you're having troubles with your private nights, please leave that and any other unmentionable things at home. This is a classroom, not a cathouse."

"Speaking of cats…" Furura began to speak.

"Now's not the time…" Musashi groaned irritably.

"Now I'll just keep this in my drawer. Hopefully this book hasn't been in any…_sticky_ situations…" Uchikido spoke the last sentence more to herself than the students, though a majority of them found it humorous.

Hiroshi couldn't have been more embarrassed in his life.

"Ah, b-but…" Seeing how he couldn't find a way to explain himself without exposing Musashi and Furura, he surrendered with a sigh. "I'm sorry, professor. That won't happen again." He hung his head low, ashamed with the situation at hand. Slowly, he started turning his head to face Natsume. "Um, sorry about that interruption. I can…ex…plain…" He almost died with fright at the glare Natsume gave him. It clearly stated 'Get the hell out of my face before I kill you.' "Uh…yeah, right, I'll be going now…" Slowly, he moved around until he was sitting next to Musashi and Furura. His forehead hit the table with a thump. That had to be the worst moment he ever experienced. No, that morning was definitely the worse moment ever. But this was as close as it was going to get.

Takeshi sweat-dropped fiercely, noticing Hiroshi's despair. "……I guess this is a bad time to ask if I can borrow that magazine, huh?"

"Is my life over yet…?" Hiroshi exasperated.

After several painstaking hours of stares and whispers aimed at Hiroshi, class was over and everyone was sent home. Hiroshi felt like crying. For the entire class day, most of the male students gave sympathetic looks, and sometimes, a thumb's up. The women, however, looked as though they wanted to hang him and beat him with a metal bat. Safe to say, the environment was getting uncomfortable. Furura, walking down the street with Hiroshi and Musashi, patted the poor soul on the back. "There, there, Hiroshi-kun. Everything will be alright."

"Everyone thinks I'm a pervert now…" Hiroshi cried.

"Well, that's what happens when you have that kind of thing inside your backpack." Musashi quipped.

That comment made Hiroshi whip around, tossing an irate look in Musashi's direction. "You guys were the one to put it in there!"

"That's a minor detail. Besides, you're a guy. You're supposed to have something like that stashed somewhere. What kind of guy are you if you don't have…oh yeah, that kinda is the problem, isn't it?" Musashi realized in mid-sentence. She received an annoyed glare from the boy in question. "In any case, I was hoping it would desensitize you towards women a bit. It doesn't look like it did too much though. Hm…" The red haired woman began pondering on her next idea to help Hiroshi. It was strange to be living with another man who held no impure intentions towards the two women. Then again, it was even stranger for it to be the opposite. She was interested to see if he could truly be cured of his odd phobia. Just then, she thought of an idea. "Hey, Hiroshi-kun, I have another plan to help you out. Come with me." Musashi turned on a corner that led to somewhere other than Hiroshi's home. Confused, Hiroshi and Furura followed her to their next destination.

Their path took them from an uptown, bustling city, to a downtown and somewhat more dangerous area quickly. There were a few buildings there were either decayed or vacant, and those less fortunate prowled the grounds in search of money and opportunity. It was only a 20 minute walk, but Hiroshi was surprised that Koganei city had such a dark side to it. He was very nervous, and not just because he was in female company.

"W-we shouldn't stay here too long. This place is giving me the creeps…" Hiroshi advised.

"Relax, I know this area very well. Ah, here it is!" Musashi pointed to a building nearby, which looked anything but nice. There were a plethora of scantily clad women and men donned in flashy, expensive clothing walking the streets. The building in particular had flashy lights and a sign that read 'Get your freak on at Club JoMamma!'

"What kind of place is this? I have a very bad feeling…" Hiroshi tried to step back, but Musashi grabbed his hand. Following suit, Furura did the same with his other hand.

"This is a club. A very _special_ club. I'd say that if this doesn't get you anywhere, I don't think anything will. Now come on!"

"I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!" Hiroshi whined, getting dragged inside. Inside the building, what he thought was going to be a scene of horror, turned out to be quite nice. At first, it resembled a fancy bar. It was clean, had many tables, and the bar counter had a very nice looking young woman working at the counter. So far, it was very nice and calm, contrast to what Hiroshi had been told about these clubs. So far, everything seemed very nice.

That is, until he turned to stage, which all the men inside were staring intently at…

His eyes couldn't have grown any wider.

"W…what on earth…!? Why is that lady up there with no clothes!? And what is she going to do with that…holy…!" Hiroshi quickly closed his eyes, not wanting to see anymore.

"Oh come on! It's not so bad! It's a strip club after all, this is how it is. Now sit down here and wait. I'll be right back." Without waiting for Hiroshi to speak, Musashi sat him in a chair and grabbed Furura, going to who knew where.

So badly, Hiroshi wanted to run out of there and never look back. Thankfully, they never said anything about looking at the dancing strippers, so he took the chance to look away, his face completely flushed. He could swear he felt a nose bleed coming. He took the chance to look around everywhere else that didn't have naked, dancing women. His eyes led him to the bar counter. Perhaps he could count glass or something while he waited for Musashi and Furura to come back.

"Hey, kid!" A stranger slurred, staggering towards him.

'_Oh good, someone I can talk to.'_ Hiroshi thought happily. "Um, can I help you sir?"

"Why aren't ya lookin' at da gurls?"

Of all the strange questions, Hiroshi was baffled as to why the man cared. "Uh, why? No reason. I was just…"

"There is no 'just'!" The man hiccupped, holding onto a chair to stay steady. "Wha, ya dun like to look at purty women or sumthin'? Are ya gay or wha?"

Okay, that was twice someone accused him of being gay. It was getting very annoying. Hiroshi didn't pay too much attention to that detail, but rather the man's previous question. "It's not that or anything, I just don't want to, well, look." It was a simple enough, right? He had no reason to look, and there was nothing wrong with that.

The older man blinked, wearing a confused expression. He obviously thought otherwise. "Stop actin' like a weirdo n' look at da purty gurls!"

"But I don't…"

"Wha did I say!? Turn forward and look! DO IT!"

"Eep! Okay, okay!" Hiroshi raised his hands defensively at the drunken man, not wanting to incur his wrath. With tears streaming down his face, he turned to look forward at the strippers, wishing those girls he was with would hurry up already. All he wanted to do was just go home and pretend this day never happened.

"Excuse, but are you Hiroshi-san?" A young, pretty blonde woman asked. Hiroshi was moments from a nose bleed, considering all she had on was a red g-string, glitter, and a ton of bust.

"Er um…y-yes?" It came out as more of a squeak than an actual voice, causing the woman to giggle.

"Aw, poor thing. This really is your first time, huh? Well, come with me and let me make things better." She extended her hand and grabbed Hiroshi's, leading him to an isolated corner of the strip club. The lady sat Hiroshi in a lone chair, void of anyone nearby for many feet.

"So, what is it you wanted to—oh…my…!" His face held the deepest shades of red, a small droplet of blood sliding down his nose. The woman was bent over, flashing her bottom in Hiroshi's face. Straining his eyes, he attempted to look away from the alluring 'treatment' to see Musashi and Furura waving at him, smiling way too happily.

Those girls got him a lap dance. Why those evil little…

'_Oh kami…someone kill me…!'_ Hiroshi was trying to find a way to escape, but he couldn't move without touching the woman. But if he thought this was bad, things got worse when the lady seemed to have taken a liking to him. Hiroshi could tell this from the dreamy look in her amethyst eyes. He could only pray she wouldn't do something drastic…like touch him.

He had more than enough of that from this morning.

"Hey Hiroshi. Are you doing anything later tonight?" The blonde asked, her 'eyes' taunting Hiroshi's vision.

"U-u-uh…n-no. W-why do you ask?" Hiroshi was moments from leaping away from the woman, but her weapons of mass distraction prevented him from having clear thoughts.

At this point, she leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Well, because I was thinking that maybe later…"

10 seconds later…

"GYAAAAH!" Performing leaps that would make a superhero jealous, Hiroshi flew from the door, landing face first into the pavement. After hearing those horrid descriptions, he couldn't take it anymore and hastily made his way outside…though not planning his painful greeting with the ground. "This is starting to get way out of hand…" He grumbled to himself. Looking up, he noticed someone standing in front of him. Unfortunately for him, he looked further and paled upon the sight of the person's face. "N-N-Natsume-san!" Immediately, the young adult straightened himself up, vainly cleaning off the dirt and blood off his body. From the look on Natsume's face, she didn't exactly approve Hiroshi's choice of buildings to visit. "T-T-This isn't what it looks like! You see…what happened was…!"

"Scum." Natsume shot icily, walking off.

"Ack…!" At the comment, Hiroshi froze, thrown into a world of shock and despair. In less than 6 hours, his status went from normal and nerdy to…Takeshi.

Right now he just wanted to go home and die a horrible death.

"Hiroshi-kun, wait up!" The boy's two accomplices ran up to him.

"Are we done trying to destroy my brain yet?" Hiroshi asked, already at his blood-loss limit.

"No, I mean, we still have one last test to try, but before that…" Musashi handed Hiroshi a small piece of paper.

"What's this?" Hiroshi asked, noticing a name and number on it.

"It's that nice lady's phone number!" Furura praised.

Hiroshi fell over comically at the news. Why did it have to be him with such bad luck…?

Later that afternoon, Hiroshi and the two girls finally arrived at the house. Once inside, Hiroshi promptly threw himself onto his beige couch, not wanting to face the world. "Today was a disaster. We didn't get anything done." He groaned, his voice muffled by the couch cushions.

"Well…we kinda did. It's easy to see why your sign is of the Aipom with the way you've been jumping around." Musashi said, still wondering how he slipped away from the woman so quickly.

"I was talking about my fear that you two were trying to help me with. If anything, you two only increased my fear."

Sitting in a brown, leather recliner, Musashi leaned back with her fingers pressed together and her legs crossed. A wicked smirk played on her lips. "It didn't seem that way when you were talking to Natsume-san. You two seemed to be getting along."

"Well…" Hiroshi paused for a beat, remembering that small little detail. It was an amazing feat that he even got that close without bursting into a panic. Most likely it was the woman's calm, yet slightly threatening, atmosphere that kept him at bay. But wait…calm atmosphere…he was feeling relaxed. He felt some pressure, but it wasn't overcoming. Maybe if he started slowly…

"I got it!" Furura exclaimed, throwing everyone off balance. Hiroshi fell on the floor in surprise, landing on his back.

"Ow! What's the big idea?" Hiroshi questioned, sitting up.

"Yeah, Fu-chan, what's up?" Musashi wondered as well.

The auburn-haired woman held a determined look, as though to come upon an epiphany. "Well, so far, whenever we threw Hiroshi-kun into a situation, he would get scared and run off. But…what if we took things a little slower?"

Hiroshi sat up, tossing Furura a surprised look. Did she just read his mind or something? "You know, I was thinking the same thing! When I was talking with Natsume-san, I was starting to feel comfortable. That is, until_something_ happened." He sighed at this. So close, yet so far away.

Musashi tapped on her chin, thinking about it. "Hmm…you know, that IS a good point. But the question is what shall we start with?"

"Oh, oh! Me! Pick me!" Furura waved her hand, desperate to get picked.

"You don't have to raise your hand. Go ahead with your suggestion." Hiroshi laughed, finding humor in the girl's silly nature. He got back onto his couch, listening intently.

"Well, I was thinking of something small, yet good enough to get started. My idea is perfect for it!"

"And what's this perfect plan?"

"We shall…get Hiroshi to kiss one of us!"

"Ack!" Hiroshi nearly fell over again, stunned with what he just heard. "Um…Furura-san, I think that's just…"

"Brillant!" Musashi praised.

The poor victim to the girl's newfound plan fell onto the floor, completely red in the face. He sat up, having a wild and fearful look in his eyes. "W-w-w-wait a minute! Why do I have to kiss one you!? Can't we do something else besides that!?"

"My, Hiroshi-kun…isn't that something only a married couple should do?" Furura had a bashful look on her face, blushing.

"Hate to break it to you, but we're not friends with benefits, if you know what I'm saying..." Musashi stated.

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Hiroshi denied fiercely, appalled.

"Alright Fu-chan, let's do this! Since you thought of it, you get to kiss him. I'll hold him down. Heaven knows someone has to." Musashi suggested.

"Great idea! Ready Hiroshi…-kun…?" Furura noticed that the floor was now vacant of a Hiroshi. Her and Musashi's eyes turned to the door, where Hiroshi was caught halfway through. There was a moment of silence…

…Uh oh.

"…GET. THAT. MAN!!" Musashi declared, charging after Hiroshi.

"Kissy kissy!" Furura yelled happily, enjoying every moment.

"Eep!" At the war cry, Hiroshi sprinted out the door, Musashi and Furura hot on his heels.

Cutting corners, leaping over fences, and dodging traffic, the fear-driven Hiroshi made every effort to escape the two girls. _'Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?'_ It was inconceivable how bad his luck has gotten. Those girls were certainly a menace, though he couldn't hate them due to their good intentions.

But still, this was ridiculous.

The reddish haired Soma was halfway down the street that was a few blocks into the city when Musashi slid into view at the corner of the street. "I have you now!"

"Ack! Trapped!" Hiroshi peeked over his shoulder to see Furura running towards him. Luckily, there was a door right next to his position that led inside a clothing store. It was an easy decision to sprint inside and try to lose his pursuers. The clothing mall was pretty big, consisting of many sections. But Hiroshi wasn't nearly as safe as he thought he was when he entered the store. The reason, however, wasn't because of the girls chasing him.

Hiroshi ventured into a_women's_ clothing store.

If there was anyone who was hiring football players, Hiroshi was bound to be an MVP. His footwork was amazing as he darted past one surprised female after another. Musashi and Furura almost managed to corner him at one spot, but the man dove through a nearby clothing rack. Once he emerged, Hiroshi was appalled and shock at the results. Somehow, one of the dresses latched itself onto him as he struggled through the mess of women's clothing. A simple, pink summer dress managed to slip onto him, followed by a pair of pink panties and a bra, both of which were outside the clothes. What really added insult to injury was the complementary hat that happened to stick to his head. Safe to say, he was every drag queen's nightmare.

A tensed moment followed as Hiroshi eyed all the innocent bystanders, who were giving him VERY strange looks. "…Uh…I can explain…I think…" In truth, even he had a hard time coming up with a logical explanation.

"EEK! A PERVERT!" One of the girls screamed. This caused a wave of panic to float through the store. All of which made Hiroshi feel even worse.

If Hiroshi had to go through this much trouble just to be cured of his fear, he would rather be gay.

Even Musashi and Furura had to take a moment to let their minds capture the moment. Musashi was the first to recover. "…You know, you don't look half bad in pink."

"I think he would look better with floral prints…" Furura added, holding her chin thoughtfully. Musashi nodded in agreement.

"Eep!" Hiroshi took this moment to run for his pretty life. Musashi and Furura were soon to follow.

Elsewhere in the store, Hanako just happened to be doing some shopping with an old friend of hers. This person was none other than Ookido Hakase from the university. "Thank you for coming along, Ookido-san." Hanako thanked.

Ookido waved it off modestly, brandishing a small smile. "I'm always glad to come along with you. It really has been a while since we last met."

"Silly, it's only been a few weeks. How have your classes been?"

"Ugh, troubling." Ookido groaned, scratching his grey hair. "Hiroshi-san actually transformed in the middle of class."

"Oh my! Did anyone catch him?" Hanako gasped.

"I don't think so. The smoke was pretty dense, so everyone was blinded. He managed to slip away thankfully."

Hanako released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She was truly worried for the boy. Hiroshi was never good at handling intense situations. "I'm glad. He really is a nice boy. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him."

"I agree wholeheartedly. He really is such a quiet, normal boy. Most people his age are so rowdy and noisy, but he's as quiet and mellow as they come. I've been his next door neighbor for years, but I've never heard a peep from him." No sooner did Ookido make that statement, a mix of running and screaming resounded from behind.

"SOMEBODY SAVE MEEEE!" Hiroshi screamed, rushing past Hanako and Ookido.

"COME BACK AND TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!" Musashi yelled.

"I SCREAM FOR KISSY KISSY!" Furura cried after. All three ran by like a bullet train, all of them running out the store.

A VERY quiet moment soon followed as Hanako and Ookido were rendered speechless. "…Um…Ookido-san…did Hiroshi-san just run by here….?"

"Yes…"

"…Wearing a dress…?"

"Yes…"

"…And being chased by two strange women…?"

"Yes…" Another awkward silence filled the space. "…I need a drink."

"I'll second that." The two left the store quickly, unsure of what on earth just transpired.

10 minutes after leaving the store, Hiroshi finally managed to lose the girls. "Ha….ha…I think I lost them." He sighed with great relief. Winded from running like a maniac, he planted his back against a wall, panting for air. While he was glad to have assistance in curing his phobia, he couldn't help but feel his fears have doubled. He would pray nightly to the heavens that all girls weren't like them.

Hiroshi was about to return home when he spotted someone walking out of a nearby convenience store. Recognizing the figure, his eyes widen with alarm. "Ack, N-Natsume…!" Though surprised, his voice was barely a whisper, not wanting to incur her wrath. Her biting comment still haunted him, not used to having someone despise him. Especially since that was the first girl he ever got close to getting along with.

Barely a moment later, Hiroshi spotted two shady men leaving the same store Nastume left from. It almost seemed as though they were following her. Worried, he stealthily followed, making sure to keep himself discrete. While walking, a mother and her daughter couldn't help but notice Hiroshi sneaking around.

"Mommy, why is that man sneaking around in a dress?" The little girl asked.

"Don't look at the scary man, honey." The girl's mother warned, covering the young girl's eyes.

The moment she walked out of the store, Natsume felt a presence nearby. It wasn't very friendly either. Wearing a dark, leather trench coat with a green sweater and black jeans, she was surprised why someone even bothered to notice her. Her pace quickened slightly, and to her disappointment, her pursuers kept up with her. It was clear she was not in a good situation at the moment. Not wanting the strangers to know where she lived, she decided to deal with them in a secluded location, making a turn towards an enclosed alley. Just as she predicted, they followed.

Those poor fools…

The young woman stopped at a dead-end, not yet turning to face the two strange men following her. The two men stopped just a few feet behind her, scruff looking and giving the notion that their intentions were ill-willed. "Glad ya can make things easier for us, girly." One of the men licked his lips with anticipation, staring hungrily at Natsume.

"If you don't want to get too roughed up, you better do what we tell ya." The second bandit demanded of her.

"…Heh." Natsume turned her head towards the men, an evil smirk on her face. "Unfortunately for you two, that line is better suited for me to say. Your mistake was thinking I was just a helpless little girl. Now that you've fallen into my trap, I can easily dispatch you two without witnesses…" Her voice was frighteningly cold, making the men a little nervous.

"Y-yeah right, y-your just bluffing!" One of the attackers whipped out a pocket knife, shaking off his initial fear. With a yell, he ran towards her with the knife in hand, preparing to do his worse. Natsume was prepared to give the man a very painful defeat.

_WHAM!_

"Wargh! A foot swiftly connected to the man's face, sending him hurtling into a trash can, knocking it over. To Natsume's surprise, it wasn't her who landed the powerful kick.

It was Hiroshi.

A very pink Hiroshi.

"Natsume-san, are you alright!?" Hiroshi asked with urgency, his eyes filled with worry.

To say Natsume was shocked would be a major understatement. Hiroshi was the last person she expected to come to her rescue or be able to fight so skillfully. It didn't help that she was very distracted by pink dress he was wearing. Something about it just felt so wrong. Her mouth opened to say words, but nothing came out. It was just too astonishing that her male savoir was wearing a pink dress. Finally, she managed to say the first complete word that came to mind. "…Eh?"

The other attacker was startled, confused, and just plain freaked out. Since when on earth did men in pink frilly clothes come to a woman's rescue? No longer did he understand the workings of the world. "Hey boy, err girl, uh…whatever the hell you are, you're gonna pay for that!" The remaining assaulter charged wildly at Hiroshi, who was still facing Natsume.

Recovering from her initial shock, Natsume gasped in surprise. "Hiroshi-san, look—" Her sentence was cut short as she watched Hiroshi skillfully stepped back and stuck his heel out, tripping the assailant. In mid flight, Hiroshi smashed his elbow into the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He spun, stepped back, and then thrust his palms into the man's chest, knocking him several feet back. The aggressor was effectively silenced. "…Out…" The dark psychic finished, still thunderstruck.

"Phew, that ought to teach them!" Hiroshi wiped the sweat off his brow that was gained from all the excitement. Almost forgetting that Natsume was behind him, he turned around and backed up, making sure to keep a fair distance between them. "Are you alright, Natsume-san?"

"…I'm fine." Once she regained her composure, Natsume started walking past Hiroshi, who jumped out of the way as though she would strike him down at any given moment. Stopping just in front of him, Natsume turned to face him. She could see tension, fear and anxiety in his eyes. It annoyed her slightly. "You needn't fear me. I'm not going to hurt you."

Hiroshi put up his hands defensively, still placing his back to the wall. "I-I know that, kinda. I mean, it's not like I thought you were going to do anything, but…uh…"

Natsume made another sigh and continued walking out of the alleyway. Just before leaving, she stopped, though didn't turn to face Hiroshi. "Thanks for today. I still think you're a very strange person…" Hiroshi shrunk at this, depression clouding over him. "…But you're not as bad as I had previously thought. There may be hope for you yet." And with that said, the mysterious woman continued her way home, disappearing from sight.

Hiroshi was visibly relieved, straightening himself up. His mind began replaying Natsume's compliment. She said there was hope for him. Maybe that meant he wasn't completely doomed after all. That thought brought a smile to his face. "Maybe I can be cured after all…!" At least, his statement would've held more merit if he remembered her was wearing a dress earlier. "Argh! I can't believe I did all that while still wearing this!" He tore off the pink dress and threw away all of the garments it came with. He sighed tiredly, just realizing that Natsume caught him wearing a dress. "I'll bet she thinks I'm a cross-dressing pervert too…but at least she said I wasn't too bad. Maybe we could be friends…"

"FOUND YOU!" A voice shouted.

And thus, Hiroshi's happy moment was quickly vanquished.

"M-M-M-Musashi-san! Furura-san!" Hiroshi yelped, his fears returning in full force.

"There's no escaping us this time! Sic him, Fu-chan!"

"Here I go!" The bubbling happiness that was Furura charged at Hiroshi with wide arms and a wider smile.

From Hiroshi's perspective, she might as well be an executioner.

Tired of running, the boy finally submitted to the girl's attack. "Alright, make it quick…!" Hiroshi clenched his eyes shut and hunched against the wall, waiting for the slobber fest to begin.

And then…it happened.

"…Huh?" Hiroshi blinked, a blush on his face. It wasn't a huge assault of lips at all. It was just a small peck on the cheek. "…That's it? It was just a kiss on the cheek?"

Furura blushed as well, but still held her cute smile. "Of course, silly! I don't know you THAT well. But you are a very sweet and fun person, so it wasn't bad or anything."

Hiroshi felt a smile creep upon his lips, his cheeks still red. The sweet compliment made the man see the two women in a whole new light; at least for Furura. "Aw shucks…I'm not THAT great…"

"Geez, what the heck did you think we were going to do, rape you or something? You damn near made us run across the whole city trying to catch you. Ugh, talk about troublesome." Musashi groaned.

"But it was fun though! I got to see tons of sights and even kiss Hiroshi-kun as our prize!" Furura beamed.

"Heh, she's as innocent as ever…" Musashi smiled to herself. Furura's intentions were always pure and usually silly and childish. That was a characteristic she would never get tired of. "Well, hopefully that did something or this whole chase was for nothing."

"Um…about that…" Hiroshi spoke up, catching their attention, "I think…I might have a chance of being cured…"

Musashi raised an eyebrow, surprised with Hiroshi's discovery. "Is that so? Well then, good for you. This means that our medicine is working!"

Furura had a thoughtful look on her face. "Maybe the whole kissing thing is helping him. So if we continued doing that…"

"Whoa, let's not get carried away now!" Hiroshi begged.

"Well, what would you propose we do next? Because I have a ton of ideas to help you out." Musashi asked, rubbing her hands together in an almost mischievous manner.

Hiroshi folded his arms and began thinking on his course of action. Given his best performance came out of his one conversation with Natsume, he decided on that course. "How about I just stick around you guys during our daily lives? Maybe if I get used to you two, I can slowly build up towards other girls. But please…no more crazy stuff. My heart can't take it."

Musashi smirked, nodding at the request. "That works. After all, we've gotta do something to thank the man who gave us two a nice home." Excited, the red haired woman pumped her fist in the air. "Alright, I say we celebrate!"

"Yay, celebrate! Celebrate!" Furura cheered as well.

Hiroshi smiled softly at the two. Those girls were definitely loony in his book, but they were very kind towards him. Perhaps it really was a good decision to let those two move in with him. While his life did take a crazy turn, maybe it was something he truly needed. Maybe if he lived with those girls a little longer, he could get to know them as well as be cured of his phobia.

That thought alone made him happy.

"Alright, to club JoMamma!" Musashi and Furura cheered. Hiroshi paled in terror at this suggestion.

…Maybe he could be cured IF he lived long enough to witness it.

* * *

This chapter was a whammy to make, but definitely enjoyable. Hopefully you've enjoyed this nice little entry! A little laugh with something nice (and naughty) mixed in. Be sure to drop a review and let me know your thoughts. Happy day and keep it fun! 


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